IND vs ENG 5th Test: India to press for 4-1, England too fancy themselves at 'home'

Team India (Pic: File Pic)

Ahead of the IND vs ENG 5th Test, premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be eyeing a memorable outing as he will make his 100th test appearance on Thursday. The hosts have maintained their record by sealing the series and will be looking forward to extending the streak by securing the win in the IND vs ENG 5th Test.

The pitch and the cold weather in Dharamshala that makes the English men feel at home have been the two big talking points ahead of the IND vs ENG 5th Test.

Also Read: IND vs ENG 5th Test: A match full of milestones!

The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 10 degrees for the opening two days before rising over the weekend.

The pitch wore a flat look on the eve of the game but the moisture seeped underneath will keep the pacers interested in the early hours of play on all days.

Though traditionally, the venue favours fast bowlers, the role of spinners can't be discounted and they did play a big part in India's win over Australia in the only Test played here back in 2017.

In the recently held four Ranji Trophy games, the teams were able to score 300 plus on multiple occasions with the highest total of the season being 482 posted by Baroda.

Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow, both of whom will make their 100th Test appearance on Thursday, expressed contrasting views on the surface going the match. Bairstow found the pitch 'nice' while Ashwin said both teams will be entering unknown territory considering the cold weather.

Also Read: IN PHOTOS | Players with the most wickets after 99 Tests

India is, however, unlikely to tinker with their bowling combination of two pacers and three spinners. Jasprit Bumrah will return to bolster the attack with Mohammed Siraj being the second pacer. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, who have been able to play only 11 Tests since making a successful debut back here in 2017, will share the duties in the spin department.

India's KL Rahul not being available for the final clash due to fitness could provide another opportunity for Rajat Patidar. The youngster is still to make the most out of the chances. He has just scored 63 runs in six innings.

The IND vs ENG 5th Test could be the last chance for Patidar to keep his place in the squad. Devduut Padikkal is another batsman, the team management can look for.

Sarfaraz Khan who announced his entrance into international cricket with a blistering half-century on debut in Rajkot was not able to score many runs in Ranchi. He will look to make it big before the red-ball season comes to an end.

Yashasvi Jaiswal who is just a few runs from becoming the second Indian batsman after the great Sunil Gavaskar to score 700 runs in a test series will also be in people's sight.

Mental fatigue hasn't set in as England aim to end tour on a high

England have already lost the series, their first in the 'Bazball' era, but there is still plenty to play for before they return home after a long tour.

Bairstow's 100th Test milestone will be celebrated through the week and by the looks of it, the England cricketers are enjoying in this scenic town with the cold weather adding to their comfort.

The right-hander has been well below par in the series and would be aiming to make his 100th Test outing an unforgettable one by regaining his lost form.

England fans have also arrived here in big numbers, giving the players another reason to come up with a special performance.

"I don't think that anyone is thinking like that," Ben Stokes said on Tuesday when asked if players are already thinking about returning home.

"We feel every opportunity to play for England is special. That's just our mentality and our mindset, regardless of where you are, or how long you've been away. But that shouldn't take away from the fact that this place is pretty special," the skipper told the travelling British media.

England, who went with only one specialist pacer at the start of the series and had two of them featuring in the last game, will continue with the latter formula here too.

Veteran James Anderson will partner Mark Wood, who will replace Ollie Robinson. Shoaib Bashir, who is nursing a sore spinning finger, and Tom Hartley, have come of age in their debut series and will be the two specialist spinners.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

England XI: Ben Stokes (C), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir.

Match starts 9.30 am IST.

(With PTI Inputs)