Devdutt Padikkal Debuts as India Look to Seal Series Sweep Against England
Devdutt Padikkal became the fifth Indian player to make his test debut in the ongoing series against England on Thursday, receiving his cap before the fifth and final match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
The 23-year-old batsman replaced Rajat Patidar, who was ruled out with an ankle injury sustained during training. However, Padikkal will have to wait for his batting opportunity as England captain Ben Stokes elected to bat after winning the toss.
“It is another opportunity to go out there and represent your country,” Stokes said. “Every game is an event in itself. Coming away from India 3-2 sounds better than 4-1.”
India, already leading the series 3-1 after their victory in Ranchi, brought back pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and dropped Akash Deep.
“We have done really well in the series so far and this is an opportunity for us to finish it on a high,” said India captain Rohit Sharma.
England, seeking a consolation victory, replaced seamer Ollie Robinson with Mark Wood in their only change. Robinson was wicketless in the previous test, where India secured their series lead.
Wood joins James Anderson in the attack, with Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir handling the spin duties alongside Joe Root’s part-time off-spin.
With India already securing a record-extending 17th consecutive home test series win, the pressure might be off in Dharamsala. However, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be aiming to make his 100th test a truly memorable one.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma showered praise on Ashwin, who recently reached the landmark of 500 test wickets, calling him an invaluable “match-winner.”
“Reaching 100 tests is a huge accomplishment for any cricketer,” Sharma stated to the media. “It’s a significant milestone. Ashwin consistently delivers for us in crucial matches.”
“Over the past five to seven years, his contributions have been evident in every series. Players like him are exceptional.”
England and India Squad for Fifth Test at Dharmashala
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Shoaib Bashir
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
