Having wrapped up the series with a hard-fought victory against England in the third Test in Ranchi, India will want to win the final match in Dharamsala, starting on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
India have shown great spirit to bounce back after being shocked in the first Test by 28 runs.
They won the second Test in Visakhapatnam by 106 runs followed by a thumping 434 run victory in Rajkot. The five wicket win in Ranchi helped seal the five match series 3-1.
England failed with their ultra aggressive Bazball tactics with their batters refusing to take a step back from their attacking approach even when the conditions demanded caution and restraint.
Except for the Rajkot Test which India won convincingly, England had chances in the other three games but failed to capitalise the opportunity and land the killer blow.
England led by the unflappable Ben Stokes have taken the defeats in their stride and no team in recent times has made India work so hard for their victories at home.
The fifth Test could be England's best chance to finish off on a high as the conditions in Dharmasala are likely to suit the visitors more than the Indians.
There is some rain expected on the opening day of the Test on Thursday, while the temperature is likely to be chilly during the day. Unbelievable for a Test match to be played in India, Accuweather has predicted the weather at the toss at 9 am to be around 5 degrees Celsius.
Along with the cold weather at the HPCA Stadium, which lies at an altitude of 1,317 metres above sea level, the pitch is also expected to aid the seam bowlers.
In the Ranji Trophy match played at this venue a month ago between Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, all the 36 wickets which fell during the course of the four days were taken by pace bowlers.
In the only Test played at this venue in 2017, India outclassed Australia by eight wickets with spinners from both teams doing well, picking up a total of 18 wickets in the match.
But this around, the pace bowlers are expected to rule the roost and both teams could go in with three pace bowlers and one or two spinners.
India may have sealed the series but gone are the days of dead rubbers! With precious World Test Championship points at stake, the match holds a lot of importance for both teams.
India have been buoyed by the return of their strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the fourth Test. He along with Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who impressed during his debut Test in Ranchi, could be part of a three-man pace attack.
All eyes will be on Ravichandran Ashwin, who will become the 14th Indian to play 100 Tests, and he will be keen to make his milestone Test a memorable one. Ravindra Jadeja could play ahead of Kuldeep Yadav as the second spinner as the all-rounder has been the preferred choice for India whether playing at home or abroad.
Ashwin had a quiet start to the series, with 11 wickets in the first three matches, before he bounced back with 5/51 -- his first five-wicket haul of the series -- to send England packing in Ranchi.
Jadeja, who missed second Test because of injury, has done well with both bat and ball, taking 17 wickets and scoring 217 runs with a a century and fifty.
Kuldeep has also done exceedingly well, picking up 12 wickets in three matches at an average of 22, but will have to make way for an extra pacer in Dharamsala.
India could be forced to make a change in the batting order with Devdutt Padikkal expected to make his debut in Dharamsala. The Karnataka left-hander will replace the struggling Rajat Patidar, who has managed just 63 runs in six innings.
If he plays, Padikkal will become the fifth debutant for India in the series after Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Akash Deep.
England could have a four-man pace attack in Dharamsala. Mark Wood is likely to return alongside James Anderson and Ollie Robinson. Ben Stokes is expected to send down a few overs in favourable conditions.
The visitors are likely to field just one spinner in left-armer Tom Hartley, who has been impressive in the first four games, with 20 wickets -- the most by a bowler in the series so far.
India's Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the fifth Test against England?
