India, England teams reach Dharamshala for fifth Test from March 7, it’ll be second five-day match to be played ever at Himachal’s picturesque stadium

TNR Desk

The final match of the five-Test series between India and England is scheduled to take place at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium from March 7 to 11. Both the Indian and English teams arrived in Dharamshala from Chandigarh on Sunday morning under tight security arrangements from Kangra airport. They are staying at Hotel Radisson Blu located in Kandi, adjacent to Dharamshala. Both teams will participate in practice sessions at the Dharamshala stadium from March 4 to 6.

In the ongoing five-match series, India has won three out of four matches, clinching the series. The aim for Team India in the final match at Dharamshala is to secure another victory, narrowing the series gap to 4-1. This will mark the second Test match ever held at the Dharamshala stadium, following the India-Australia match in March 2017, where India emerged victorious by eight wickets. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was awarded the Player of the Match title for his impressive performance.

For the fifth test match, KL Rahul has been ruled out due to fitness concerns while Jasprit Bumrah will stage a comeback. Rajat Patidar’s underwhelming performance in the Test series against England might lead to his exclusion from the playing-11. Team India aims to maintain its top position in the world test championship points table by winning the last Test match.

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association’s co-secretary, Vishal Sharma, confirmed that the HPCA has completed preparations for the upcoming test match. Both teams will hold practice sessions at the Dharamshala Stadium in morning and evening sessions starting Monday.