England Bat First in Fifth Test Against India, Ashwin and Bairstow Reach 100-Test Milestone

England skipper Ben Stokes opted to bat first in the fifth and final Test against India at Dharamsala's Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Despite India's 3-1 series victory, England is determined to salvage some pride and earn valuable ICC World Test Championship points.

This match marks a significant milestone for both Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin and England batter Jonny Bairstow, who are playing their 100th Test. England has made one change to their playing eleven, bringing in Mark Wood, while India has replaced Akash Deep with Jasprit Bumrah.

During the toss, Stokes expressed his team's desire to bat first, citing the pitch's appearance. He also praised Bairstow's achievement, calling him "one of our best-ever all-format players."

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma echoed Stokes' sentiments, stating that India would have also chosen to bat first. He acknowledged Ashwin's remarkable career and expressed his support for the all-rounder.

England's playing eleven consists of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (w), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, and James Anderson.

India's playing eleven includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.

With the series already decided, both teams will be eager to end on a high note and secure the remaining 12 ICC World Test Championship points. The match promises to be an exciting contest between two talented sides.

Tags: #Cricket, #India, #England, #BenStokes, #RohitSharma