India is set to face England in the fifth and final Test of the series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala from March 7. With India already securing the series victory with a 3-1 lead, the team approaches the game with confidence, allowing room for some experimentation with their playing XI for the final Test match. In this article, we will take a look at the predicted playing 11 of Team India against England.
According to recent reports, talented Indian batsman Rajat Patidar is likely to be excluded from the playing XI for the fifth Test in Dharamsala. Despite receiving ample opportunities, Patidar has failed to leave a significant impact in the series, only managing to score 63 runs across six innings at a mediocre average. Hence, considering his poor form, India may opt to replace him with another option for the final dead-rubber match.
If Patidar is indeed dropped from the playing XI, left-handed batsman Devdutt Padikkal might make his Test debut. Padikkal demonstrated remarkable consistency in the Ranji Trophy 2024, accumulating 556 runs in six innings at an outstanding average of 92.66.
Padikkal, who was drafted into the squad before the third Test, has been in exceptional form this season. The 23-year-old southpaw, with 2227 runs in 31 first-class appearances at an average of 44.54, has been particularly impressive, scoring 556 runs at an average of 92.66 in four matches. He has also registered three centuries in the six innings he has played, consistently converting his starts into big scores.
In a recent match against Tamil Nadu in Chennai, which ended in a draw, Padikkal was named the player of the match for his contributions of 151 and 36 runs. His highest score this season was 193, achieved in Karnataka’s opening match against Punjab.
Padikkal also showcased his skills while representing India A against the England Lions in Ahmedabad, where he scored 65, 21, and 105 runs. His century in the second unofficial Test played a crucial role in setting up an innings victory.
Meanwhile, skipper Rohit Sharma will continue to open alongside the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Shubman Gill, Padikkal, Sarfaraz, and Dhruv Jurel forming the middle order. Veteran all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will provide the spin bowling options, while the pace department may see the return of ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah. Considering the seam-friendly conditions in Dharamsala, Bumrah may replace Kuldeep Yadav, with Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep supporting him in the pace attack.
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India’s Predicted Playing XI for 5th Test against England
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Akash Deep
India’s Squad for the 5th Test against England
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.