The Rohit Sharma-led Team India is all set to take on England in the fifth and final Test of the five-match series, starting March 7 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala. The Anthony de Mello Trophy has already been clinched by India as they head into the fifth match of the series with a 3-1 lead. England began the series on a winning note at Hyderabad. However, India bounced back with three successive wins to hand England their first Test series defeat since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took charge as coach and captain, respectively.
Heading into the Dharamsala Test, team India is mulling over the possibility give a Test cap to Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal.
Since KL Rahul has been ruled out of the final Test and Rajat Patidar has failed to impress with the bat, it seems likely that Padikkal will get the nod for the fifth Test.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who reached 500 Test wickets in Rajkot, becoming the second-fastest to the milestone in terms of Tests played, is all set to play his 100th Test at Dharamsala. Here’s a look at India’s predicted playing XI for the fifth Test against England.
India’s Predicted Playing XI against England in the Fifth Test
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been having a dream run in the ongoing series as the southpaw has amassed 655 runs in eight innings at an impressive average of 93.57.
So far, Jaiswal has smashed two hundreds and just as many fifties with his highest score being 214* at Rajkot. He is also the highest run-getter in the series.
2. Rohit Sharma (c) has had his share of ups and downs in the red-ball format since the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, the batting legend has done well to lead an inexperienced team in the absence of prominent names like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami.
He’s scored 297 runs in the series so far at an average of 37.12 and will be looking to lead his team by example in the final Test of the series.
3. Shubman Gill has had a rollercoaster ride in the ongoing red-ball series. After failing to score runs in the Hyderabad Test, he bounced back with a majestic hundred in the second innings at Vizag.
Gill has accumulated 342 runs in four Tests at a decent average of 48.85.
4. Devdutt Padikkal replaced an injured KL Rahul in the third Test and is likely to make his debut in the fifth. Padikkal has done well in the domestic circuit and has made 556 runs from six innings in the ongoing Ranji Trophy for Karnataka.
5. Sarfaraz Khan was a part of the 2016 U19 World Cup and earned his debut for India after accumulating plenty of runs on the domestic circuit. He scored 62 and an unbeaten 68 in his Test bow to help set up a 434-run win – India’s biggest Test win by runs.
6. Ravindra Jadeja – the world’s No.1 all-rounder in Tests – needs no introduction. He has been in a sublime touch in the ongoing series, scoring 217 runs besides also bagging 17 wickets in three Tests.
His fine performances earned him the Player of the Match award in the Rajkot Test, in which he scored a hundred and bagged a five-wicket haul.
7. Dhruv Jurel (wk) received his first Test cap in the Rajkot Test. However, Jurel made his presence felt with the bat when he joined hands with Gill for an important partnership in the fourth Test to help India to victory with a Player of the Match performance.
8. Ravichandran Ashwin is among the top wicket-takers in the series. Ashwin has grabbed 17 wickets in eight innings which included his 500th Test wicket. He bagged a five-wicket haul in the last Test and is set to play his 100th Test at Dharamsala.
9. Kuldeep Yadav – India’s premier chinaman bowler – has consistently delivered with the ball in the ongoing series. Kuldeep has scalped 12 wickets in six innings at an average of 22.58 and has also made important contributions with the bat.
10. Mohammed Siraj has had a decent Test series against the Englishmen. Siraj has picked up six wickets in three Test matches so far and can prove to be effective on the Dharamsala pitches.
11. Jasprit Bumrah – India’s go-to fast bowler in any format – has been a nightmare for the visitors, especially for Joe Root in the ongoing series. Bumrah has starred with 17 wickets in six innings at an impressive average of 13.64 and an economy of 2.87.
