The fifth and final Test match between India and England will have a distinct feel to it due to unexpected rain, a drop in temperature, and a totally different terrain. The series heads far north to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh for the final match. Up until now, the series has been played in extremely comfortable weather in the Western, Southern, and Eastern regions of India. With the highest altitude of any international site in India, the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala is made even more interesting by the early March weather in Himachal Pradesh.
The last few days have seen Dharamsala experiencing intermittent rain. It has been rather damp due to frequent spurts of rain, with the exception of Monday, when the weather gods permitted the ground crew to prepare the field and the playing area. Although rain in April and May is common in this region of the world, it seems excessively early for the first week of March.
England will not voice any complaints. At this time of year in India, this is as cozy as they can get. But how does this affect the pitch now? The weather has left the curators with little time to work on the 22 yards. With a few days remaining until the fifth Test, they should have ample time to prepare a respectable strip for these two exceptional teams, if the weather holds off.
Dharamsala's pitch is probably going to turn slowly
These next few days are really important. To choose the final surface type, the curator is expected to hold extensive talks with the Indian team management, which includes head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma. While it might be challenging to alter the surface's behavior in just two days, decisions about how much grass to leave on it and when to water it—if at all—can have a significant impact on the result.
It is said that in the early hours of Tuesday, Dravid and Rohit arrived in Dharamsala. The other team members were early arrivals. The curators would probably sit with Dravid and Rohit after they attended an event in Bilaspur.
This series' pitches haven't exactly been head-turners. This time around, it's probably going to be the same. India lost the first Test match because of the ground in Hyderabad that had the highest turn. The administration of the squad has since chosen to use a conventional Indian pitch. After dominating the first two days of the Test match, Vizag, Rajkot, and Ranchi began to show their tricks.
Presumably, the pitch at Dharamsala will be comparable. It is intended to turn slowly. Due to its large fissures, it might not produce the same varied bounce as the Ranchi surface, but batting will become more challenging starting on Day 3.
For the last Test, India made a few changes to their lineup. After being rested from the previous Test, Jasprit Bumrah has returned to the team and is almost a lock to start in the starting eleven. Washington Sundar, an all-rounder, was released so he could play in the Ranji Trophy semifinal.
However, India's No. 4 hitter will be the key to watch. In the three Test matches he has played so far, Rajat Patidar is yet to score. The only backup available is Devudutt Padikkal because KL Rahul is still injured. In the event that he is selected by the team management, the left-hander will be India's fifth series debutant.
