DHARAMSALA: England’s captain, Ben Stokes, won the toss and opted to bat against India as they seek a consolation victory in the fifth Test match on Thursday. Despite losing the series opener, India, led by Rohit Sharma, surged back to claim an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the five-game series.
Jonny Bairstow of England celebrated his 100th cap, while India’s Ravichandran Ashwin marked his century of Test appearances at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium, nestled beneath the snow-capped Himalayas. Despite unseasonal rains leading up to the Test and a forecast of cold and sleet on the first day, the players were greeted by bright, sunny weather in the morning.
Bairstow received his milestone cap from former captain Joe Root, accompanied by his mother, sister, partner, and son. India honored Ashwin’s achievement with an on-field ceremony, with coach Rahul Dravid presenting the cap in front of Ashwin’s wife and two daughters. Ashwin was later greeted by a guard of honor from his Indian teammates.
Prior to the match, England announced their XI, making one change from their previous defeat, with Mark Wood replacing Ollie Robinson. Spinner Shoaib Bashir rejoined the squad after missing training due to a stomach bug.
Meanwhile, veteran seamer James Anderson stands just two wickets shy of joining the elite club of bowlers with 700 Test wickets, following in the footsteps of Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and the late Australian great Shane Warne.
India made two changes to their lineup, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returning after being rested in the previous match, and debutant Devdutt Padikkal stepping in for the injured Rajat Patidar.
India’s last Test series defeat at home dates back to 2012, when Alastair Cook’s England secured a 2-1 victory over the hosts.
The teams for the match are as follows:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir.
Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Rod Tucker (AUS)
TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
