3-1 up and series sealed. India Cricket Team can now relax, right? Maybe not. The IND vs ENG 5th Test could be inconsequential for fans but there could consequences if India end up losing the Dharamshala Test. The World Test Championships format provides fans to look forward to something and ensures consequences in losses. India would be wary of that as they eye a third consecutive WTC Final. There will be consequences if certain players fail too. For example, Rajat Patidar hasn’t impressed and this is his last chance.
For an England loss, there will be consequences too. Despite the highs of winning the Hyderabad Test, high-flying England have crashed down like they did in 2021 series. The buzz and around Bazball is no more and some players may feel the heat if they end up with a 1-4 series defeat.
Consequences of an India loss
For India, they are a WTC Final contender with 64.58 point percentage at the top of WTC Points Table.
But if India lose IND vs ENG 5th Test to England, Rohit Sharma & Co will slip to third spot with New Zealand taking the lead automatically.
If Australia win against New Zealand, they will reclaim the top spot with India in second place.
However, with New Zealand set to face weaker teams like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in coming days, they can gain momentum in WTC Final race.
Consequences of missing opportunities
Then, the focus will be on Rajat Patidar. Despite domestic and First Class success, the world has come crashing down on Rajat Patidar. He is low on confidence and currently is on borrowed time should he fail again.
In six innings, Patidar has scored 63 runs in total at an average of 10.50. His scores are: 32, 9, 5, 0, 17 & 0. Even though Rohit Sharma has backed him, another failure in IND vs ENG 5th Test will not be great.
There will be consequences when Virat Kohli comes back especially with Rishabh Pant also returning to competitive cricket.
Sarfaraz Khan too should be cautious. After the twin half-centuries on debut, he has scored 14 & 0. While it’s too early, he should return to scoring before Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad among others return to scoring form in IPL 2024.
Latest on IND vs ENG Test
IND vs ENG 5th Test: What to expect?
- The weather will play with both teams’ minds with rain and sleet predicted. The chilly wind could unsettle players on the field.
- Beyond that, the pitch is expected to be a slow turner with spinners once again set to dominate.
- With the moisture in the air, the opening hours of the Dharamshala Test could belong to either Jasprit Bumrah or James Anderson.
- However, as the match progresses, Ravichandran Ashwin will be the one to watch out for on his 100th Test.
- James Anderson will be the other one as he eyes 700th Test wicket. He is currently on 698 wickets.
England Playing XI
1. Zak Crawley, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Ollie Pope, 4. Joe Root, 5. Jonny Bairstow, 6. Ben Stokes (C), 7. Ben Foakes
8. Tom Hartley, 9. Mark Wood, 10. James Anderson, 11. Shoaib Bashir
Predicted India Playing XI:
1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3. Shubman Gill, 4. Rajat Patidar, 5. Sarfaraz Khan, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. Dhruv Jurel, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Kuldeep Yadav, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Mohd Siraj
IND vs ENG Dharamshala Test
- Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala
- Date: March 7-11
- Time: 9:30 AM
- Live Broadcast: Sports18
- Live Streaming: JioCinema
Editors pick
