India vs England Match Prediction: Who will win the 5th Test match?
It's been close to 10 days since India clinched a thrilling victory over England and sealed the five-match Test series. Since then, several events have dominated headlines, right from a pre-wedding bonanza to franchise leagues like the WPL and the IPL.
However, it's now time to get back to red-ball action, between two of the best sides in the world, in one of the most tightly contested series of our times even if the scoreline doesn't reflect that. India and England are all set to battle it out one final time in Dharamsala, and there are plenty of storylines that deserve to be in the news during the long break.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow are gearing up to play their 100th Test. James Anderson is two wickets away from 700 in the format. Dharamsala's greenery and frigidity await two teams who don't have an idea of what to expect from the surface and the atmospheric conditions, but two teams who have managed to deal with everything thrown at them so far.
Ben Stokes laid down the marker in Hyderabad before Rohit Sharma's men came into their own and reeled off victories in Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, and Ranchi. The hosts ensured that by the time the caravan moved to Dharamsala, where the conditions might play into the hands of England, the rubber was already done.
That doesn't mean that there isn't anything to play for, though. India have made their intentions very clear by recalling ace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and the BCCI's message that Test cricket is important and needs to be respected has been received loud and clear.
Even without the World Test Championship, India would've probably recalled Bumrah and given their best. After all, it's not often that they get to make history by beating a history-making team.
Can India secure the 4-1 scoreline Stokes has admitted would be comprehensive? Or will England fight one last time and finish a challenging tour on a high?
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England have picked a similar combination to the one they fielded in Ranchi, with Mark Wood replacing Ollie Robinson. Their attack has the variety and control to succeed in all conditions, especially if Stokes deems himself fit enough to roll his arm over and support his frontline pacers.
And at the end of the day, despite their success so far, India do have an undercooked middle order. Rajat Patidar hasn't been among the runs and is under serious pressure, while Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel only recently made their international debuts.
The hosts have been carried by Yashasvi Jaiswal's batting exploits so far, but the young opener can't put the lineup on his back every time. The middle-order batters need to step up for India to win the fifth Test, and that won't be easy at a venue that always has something in it for bowlers.
At the same time, though, India with Bumrah in their bowling attack is a different beast. They know how to win key moments and have kept things simple, with great effect, throughout the series so far.
Reports suggest that the Dharamsala wicket could be a batting-friendly surface. Having sealed the series, Rohit Sharma and Co. are justified in wanting to play it safe and try to put the onus on England to produce a result. Luckily for them, Stokes and his men aren't shy of that even under normal circumstances.
A draw might be a realistic possibility for the first time in the series, but if England try to move the needle, they might end up playing into the hosts' hands. India might just have enough to get over the line in the final encounter of a gripping series.
Prediction: India to win the 5th Test vs England.