England Win Toss, Opt to Bat in Fifth Test

AFP/APP

Dharamsala: England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat against India on Thursday as the visitors look for a consolation win in the fifth Test.

India, led by Rohit Sharma, lost the opener but bounced back to take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

England batsman Jonny Bairstow has won his 100th cap, and India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also reaches a century of Tests at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium, overshadowed by the snow-capped Himalayas.

There have been unseasonal rains leading up to the Test, and there was a forecast of cold and sleet on day one, but bright, sunny weather greeted players in the morning.

Bairstow was presented with his 100th cap by former captain Joe Root, with his mother, sister, partner, and son looking on.

India held an on-field ceremony for Ashwin’s milestone, with coach Rahul Dravid presenting the cap in front of the veteran spinner’s wife and two daughters.

Ashwin later walked out to a guard of honour by the Indian players.

England named their XI on the eve of the match, making one change from their previous loss, with Mark Wood replacing fellow quick Ollie Robinson.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir returned to the field after missing training on Wednesday due to a stomach bug.

Veteran seamer James Anderson, 41, is just two shy of becoming the third bowler to take 700 Test wickets after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and the late Australian great Shane Warne (708).

India made two changes, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returning to the team after he was rested in the fourth match.

Bumrah comes in place of fellow quick Akash Deep, and batsman Devdutt Padikkal has been handed his debut after Rajat Patidar was injured while training on Wednesday.

India last lost a Test series at home in 2012 when Alastair Cook’s England beat the hosts 2-1.

Teams

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.

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

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)