India vs England, 5th Test, Weather Forecast and Pitch Report of HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala

The fifth and final Test of the series between India and England will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. The hosts are currently leading 3-1 in the series and would aim to wrap the series in a winning fashion to strengthen their position in the World Test Championship points table. England, on the other hand, would be desperate to make a comeback after their first series defeat under Ben Stokes. The conditions in Dharamshala are likely to favour them, which would boost their chances to win.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah is slated to make his return to the playing XI after he was rested in the Ranchi Test. Given the condition in Dharamshala, the Rohit Sharma-led side can field three pacers and in that case, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep will partner with Bumrah. When it comes to batting, Rajat Patidar is likely to feature in the playing XI despite not being able to prove himself so far in Test cricket.

India are expected to make a couple of changes, with Devdutt Padikkal coming in but it’s still unclear what India’s strategy would be. A bowler is likely to be rested as well. On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin is slated to play his 100th Test match in Dharamshala.

Read More: Sunil Gavaskar questions Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from Ranchi Test

When it comes to England, they are likely to play three seamers as well. James Anderson, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson are likely to feature in the playing XI, while either of Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley will complete the bowling unit. Other than that, the Thre Lions are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI.

Here’s how the weather will be in Dharamshala across five days

All five days in Dharamshala will be extremely chilly. Rain can play a spoilsport on Day 1 but the weather is expected to improve as the game progresses. There will be more sunlight on Day 3 and 4, while it will be cloudy on Day 5. Other than that, bad light can spoil the game on most of the days. The floodlights are likely to be used after Tea, which can be a bit problematic for the players in the final Test of the series.

Meanwhile, bowling first will be ideal as the conditions improve massively on the following days. The pacers will enjoy bowling as the conditions will hugely favour them.

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