2024-03-07 08:04:38
Hospice: It was very cold on Wednesday in Dharamshala, situated at an altitude of about 4800 feet. The weather here is expected to remain similar for the next five days also. For the English team, the weather in Dharamshala made them feel like home. In conditions that seem to favor seam bowling, the Indian team will try to make the fifth and final Test against England, starting today, memorable for its star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. This will be Ashwin’s 100th test match. This will also be the 100th Test match of England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow and his team is also determined to conclude its campaign with a win. India maintained their unbeaten record on home soil by winning the fourth Test in Ranchi and now look to consolidate their top position in the World Test Championship by registering a 4-1 series win.
Bumrah will return
Generally, fast bowlers have been getting help on the Dharamshala ground, but the role of spinners also cannot be underestimated. Till now only one test match has been played here. This match was played in 2017, in which spinners played an important role in India’s victory over Australia. In the recent Ranji Trophy matches played here, teams scored more than 300 runs many times. Baroda scored 482 runs in a match which is the highest score at this ground in the current season. England is going to enter this match with two pacers and two specialist spinners. He announced his XI on the eve of the match. However, there is a possibility that India will field with only two fast bowlers and three spinners. The return of Jasprit Bumrah has strengthened the Indian fast bowling attack. Along with him, Mohammad Siraj will take charge of the fast bowling department while the responsibility of spin department will be on the shoulders of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
IND vs ENG 4th Test: India broke the pride of baseball, won the Ranchi Test and captured the series.
Patidar or Padikkal
KL Rahul has not yet achieved full fitness and in such a situation Rajat Patidar may get another chance. However, he will have to score well as this could be his last chance to retain his place in the team. The Indian team management has another option in the middle order in the form of Devdutt Padikkal. He may also get a chance to debut. Sarfaraz Khan had batted brilliantly in his first match in Rajkot, but his bat did not work in Ranchi and he would like to compensate for that here. The rest of the batsmen of the team are also committed to performing impressively.
The visiting team will not change strategy
Ever since England adopted the aggressive ‘baseball’ style of play, it suffered a series defeat for the first time in Test cricket. The English team will try to end the tour with a win and make this match memorable for Bairstow. English captain Ben Stokes’s words on the eve of the match did not suggest that he would change his strategy. England fans have arrived here in large numbers and this will also be a motivation for the team to perform well. England has once again announced the final eleven on the eve of the match. In this, he has made only one change and included Mark Wood in place of Ollie Robinson. Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley will take charge of England’s spin department. James Anderson remains at the top of his game even at the age of 41.
India’s probable playing XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
England’s playing eleven (announced): Jack Crowley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Fox (wk), Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson