India and England will play one last time in a thrilling series so far. The fifth Test is on March 7 at the scenic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
The hosts pulled off one of the greatest comebacks on home turf in the last game. Dhruv Jurel (90 & 39*) was awarded the Player of the Match for his incredible rearguard effort in both innings.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently took five wickets in Ranchi, is ready to play his 100th Test. Jonny Bairstow is also aiming for the same milestone, and both players will want to make a significant effect on the game.
However, with other excellent players in the mix, there are three match-ups that stand out ahead of the Dharamsala Test:
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Joe Root
Yashasvi Jaiswal definitely couldn’t have wished for a better series with the bat, as he is perhaps the main reason India is 3-1 up heading into the fifth Test. In eight innings, he has scored 655 runs at an incredible average of 93.57.
While he has beaten England’s bowlers on multiple times in this series, Joe Root has managed to remove the southpaw twice. Apart from being a fantastic Test hitter, Root has an inexplicable tendency for taking up big wickets, and Ben Stokes may look to him to take Jaiswal’s huge scalp.
2. Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah
Joe Root eventually regained his form in the series, scoring a stunning hundred in Ranchi. Although the century was insufficient for England to win the game, Root once again shown why he is one of the best batsmen to have ever played the format.
Fortunately for India, Jasprit Bumrah may return to the playing XI after sitting out the fourth Test in Ranchi. Bumrah, who has dismissed Root nine times in Tests, will undoubtedly want to defeat the top England batter once more.
Root recently stated in an interview that he does not regret the reverse sweep he played off Bumrah in Rajkot. This might make the contest more fascinating if Root chooses to dominate Bumrah rather than defeat him.
1. Shubman Gill vs James Anderson
Shubman Gill scored 52* in Ranchi to help India win. After nearly getting dropped, Gill has done well with a hundred and two fifties, making him the second top run scorer in the series.
This will undoubtedly help the kid in his possibly difficult match-up against James Anderson. The veteran England bouncer has beaten Gill five times in Tests and would be revved up to reach the 700-wicket club.
Shubman Gill will be confident, but Anderson will think he has a psychological advantage in facing India’s No. 3.