Fifth Test between India and England: On Tuesday, India will hold their first training session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
The Indian cricket team will resume play on Tuesday, March 5, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, following a nine-day hiatus. The start of India’s official preparation for the fifth and final Test match against England, which is scheduled to start on Thursday, will also coincide with the optional practice session. Tuesday’s second training slot is allotted to India. India’s practice is scheduled to start at around 12:30 pm, following the morning session’s training of the England squad.
“England will train at the HPCA stadium from 9:30 AM onwards. India will train at the HPCA stadium from 12:30 PM onwards,” BCCI said in an official statement. At the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, the eagerly awaited fifth Test between Ind vs Eng gets underway on March 7. This is a meaningless match because India leads the series 3-1 already. But with both sides hoping to close the season strong, there’s a lot to play for.
India has already won three of the five series matches. After losing the first Test in Hyderabad, the hosts pulled off an incredible comeback. The perception that India was virtually unbeatable in their home country was reinforced by victories in Ranchi, Rajkot, and Vizag. Even without key players like Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli, they were able to stop the Bazballers with sheer skill.
Young players Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who many believe have already made a Player of the Series appearance by amassing 655 runs in 4 Tests, stole the show, while seniors Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja also made an impression with noteworthy performances.
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Rahul Dravid, the head coach, and captain Rohit Sharma deserve recognition as well. Shubman Gill, the opener, stated that skipper Rohit was the one who urged the youthful Indian team not to give up after losing the series opener, following victory over England in the previous Test to make it 17 successive series wins at home.
Rohit has also performed rather well with the bat. The tone for the Test match was set by his century in Rajkot, when we lost our first three wickets for a pittance. In the challenging 192-run chase in the fourth Test, his attacking half-century was very significant.
WTC points are in the gains for England and India.
The final Test in Dharamsala will be anything but a forgettable match because points for the World Test Championship are on the line. While England would prefer to convert their intentions into results, India would aim to solidify their lead at the top of the WTC points table by making it 4-1.
There will be multiple reasons why the Dharamsala Test is unique. For England batsman Jonny Bairstow and India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, it will be their 100th Test match. The weather is the main cause for concern. A five-day game seems unlikely given the rain, snow, and lowering temperatures that Dharamsala has been experiencing. Fans are anticipating an entertaining game of test cricket despite the uncertainties, attracted by the scenic stadium.
In the meantime, an Indian Express story claims that captain Rohit and coach Dravid will probably be transported by helicopter to Bilaspur to officially launch the Khel Mahakhumbh. Anurag Thakur, a former president of the BCCI and union minister, is also probably going to grace the occasion.
In white-ball cricket matches, such as One-Day Internationals, the pitch at Dharamsala’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA Stadium) often provides a level playing surface.