Live score of the first day of the fifth test between India and England is available here. England has been lucky not to have lost any wicket in the opening hour of the match at Dharamshala. Jasprit Bumrah, an Indian pace bowler, has taken advantage of the pitch and circumstances. England won the toss and elected to bat. In lieu of Rajat Patidar, who is injured and about whom Captain Rohit Sharma spoke, Devdutt Padikkal is making his Test debut. Padikkal received his debut cap from Ravichandran Ashwin, who is set to play in his 100th Test match. Later, Ashwin was given by head coach Rahul Dravid

When was the last time a test series saw two matches separated by so much time? Unable to recall? Not that we can, either. It seems as though the possibility of the fifth and final test between England and India has completely disappeared. Since India beat Pakistan by five wickets in Ranchi, a lot has transpired. The BCCI terminated the central contracts of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan; Neil Wagner played his final test match for New Zealand; Mumbai reached the record 48th Ranji Trophy final thanks to Shardul Thakur’s second century; and Bengaluru emerged victorious in the Women’s Premier League.

Ten days have passed since the last test of this exciting five-match series between the two sides took place, and now they will play at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, one of the coldest places in the nation. Nobody’s going to have it easy here. Allow your thoughts to roam. The players won’t be able to survive in Dharamshala’s extreme cold without blankets, hoodies, and sweaters. In the next five days, the minimum temperature will be about 1 degree, and the maximum won’t get above 7 or 8.

Let’s go back to cricket. For two players in particular, this test is quite important. Jonny Bairstow of England and Ravichandran Ashwin of India are scheduled to play their 100th Test match for their respective nations. Remarkably, Bairstow and Ashwin both made their debuts against the West Indies. India won the series, but they don’t want to take it easy because a 4-1 victory could hurt their prospects of making the World Test Championship points table. India has the potential to solidify its present place atop the ICC Test rankings.

England Makes Two Changes to Their Playing Eleven: Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, the spinners, keep their spots, and Mark Wood replaces Ollie Robinson.

In place of Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood has been added to England’s starting eleven; spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have not changed positions. India has been mysterious about their playing eleven as usual. Should they field two or three quick bowlers? In the fifth test of this series, will Devdutt Padikkal make his debut or will Rajat Patidar be kept on?

Stokes says that although the pitch in Dharamshala seems like a better wicket, no flat pitch can make batting easier when it’s slow and bowling becomes intimidating for both teams. The fact that India’s batsmen, led by the youthful phenomenon Yashasvi Jaiswal, have an advantage over others means that they may be tightening their fists at the idea of batting first. Jaiswal is actually only one run away from tying Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in a bilateral series consisting of three or more tests, with 655 runs. And sure, just like Sunil Gavaskar’s 774, Kohli’s 692 runs are also under risk.

Regretfully, KL Rahul has been eliminated, which is strange because, before to the commencement of the third test, he was 90% fit. He traveled to London for medical advice and arrived back in India in time for the next Indian Premier League, which begins in a few weeks. Having said that, given how their youth have risen to the occasion, does India really need him? Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, and Dhruv Jurel have done a fantastic job of bringing back memories of the BCCI 2020–21 with this series.

Apart from Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback, not much is happening in terms of bowling. After taking a break for the Ranchi test, India’s pace spearhead is back and ready to quickly dispatch England’s batters. Akash or Muhammad Siraj might be paired alongside them if the management decides that three quick bowlers is the right number. That’s ideal in Dharamshala, but with the surface turning and getting worse, three spinners isn’t a bad idea either, especially if England bats first. But Ashwin, the milestone man, is very much in the picture. The whole country will be filled with pride when he takes the field for the national anthem, even though it may not have happened as soon as it should have. Ash, good luck. You have India’s admiration.

Here are some salient aspects about the first day of the Fifth Test between IND and ENG:
• This is Devdutt Padikkal’s first Test.
• In a special ceremony held prior to the commencement of the match, Rahul Dravid gave Ravichandran Ashwin his 100th Test cap.
• Joe Root gave Johnny Bairstow his 100th Test cap.
• England won the toss and elected to bat first.
• India leads the series 3-1, an unassailable lead.
• Since 2012–13, India has not dropped a Test series in two matches at home.
• Ashwin joins the ranks of 14 Indians to appear in 100 Test matches.
• Bairstow is set to become England’s 17th player to earn 100 Test caps.
James Anderson needs two more wickets to achieve 700 in Test cricket.