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England take on India in the fifth and final Test of the series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, which starts on Thursday, March 7. The visitors began the series on an emphatic note, coming from behind to register a 28-run win in the opening Test in Hyderabad.
After the highs of the first Test, though, things have not gone according to plan for England. They went down to India by 106 runs in the second Test in Visakhapatnam and were drubbed by a record 434 runs in the next game in Rajkot. England needed to win in Ranchi to keep their hopes of winning the series alive but succumbed to defeat by five wickets.
While Ben Stokes and company have missed the opportunity to register a famous Test series win in India, they would want to sign off from the tour on a high. On that note, let’s look at three things England need to do right to beat India in the fifth Test in Dharamsala.
#1 Maximize the advantage when they are on top
One of the reasons England have failed to beat India in the last three Tests has been because they have not capitalized on the advantage when they have been ahead in the game, often allowing India to claw back into the contest.
And so, even though the scoreline may read 3-1 in India’s favor, the games have been tightly contested, as admitted by Indian captain Rohit Sharma as well. England did brilliantly to win the opening Test in Hyderabad after conceding a 190-run first-innings lead.
However, in subsequent Tests, they haven’t quite displayed that combative spirit. In the second game in Visakhapatnam, England were well placed at 114-1 in response to India’s 396 but got bowled out for 253, with only Zak Crawley crossing the half-century mark.
In Rajkot, England had reduced India to 33-3 in their first innings. Rohit was dropped early in his innings; otherwise, the hosts could have been four down. Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja hammered tons as India recovered to post 445.
In response, England were 224-2, with Ben Duckett slamming 153 but collapsed shockingly to be bowled out for 319.
Shifting focus to Ranchi, England had India in trouble in both innings. After posting 353, they reduced the hosts to 177-7. However, young keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel hit 90 to bring India back into the contest.
In the second innings, England reduced India to 120-5 after setting them a target of 192. However, their bowlers couldn’t dislodge Shubman Gill and Jurel, thus conceding the series.
#2 England’s big names in batting need to stand up
Bazball was expected to face its biggest test in India. And, after four games, it can be safe to conclude that England’s batters haven’t quite lived up to all the hype. While India's Yashasvi Jaiswal alone has notched up two double hundreds, there have been only three hundreds from the England camp.
Ollie Pope scored a game-changing 196 in Hyderabad but has done precious little with the willow otherwise. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have done reasonably well, scoring 328 and 314 runs respectively. However, they fade in comparison to Jaiswal, who has smashed 655 runs at an average of 93.57.
Joe Root scored a hundred in the Ranchi Test, but it came after six low scores in the preceding three Tests. Skipper Ben Stokes (197 runs) has been a massive disappointment, while Jonny Bairstow (170 runs) has also struggled.
It says a lot when Tom Hartley (159 runs) has scored nearly as many runs as Bairstow while batting in the lower order.
#3 England need a big effort from James Anderson
Despite missing their senior spinner Jack Leach, England have done commendably well in the spin department, even with three rookie bowlers.
Left-arm spinner Hartley is the leading wicket-taker in the series, with 20 scalps in four Tests. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has claimed 12 wickets in two Tests, while leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has managed 11 from three.
The pace bowling department, though, has been a big letdown for England. There were high expectations from veteran James Anderson, but he has only managed eight wickets in three Tests. In contrast, Jasprit Bumrah has 17 scalps from three games at an average of 13.65.
Anderson needs to make an impact in Dharamsala for England to maintain the pressure on India’s batters. Another poor game and question marks over whether he's past his prime could gain more traction.
Apart from Anderson, Mark Wood too has struggled in the two Tests he has featured in. Coming in as a replacement for Ollie Robinson in Dharamsala, he will be expected to make a mark.
