India versus England: Another slow turner likely for fifth Test at Dharamsala | Cricket News

THE centre wicket at the Dharamsala Stadium looked like a blank sheet of brown paper. Unseasonal rain prevented the ground staff from doing a lot on it for the past few days but clear weather on Monday allowed curators to get down to work.
Over the next few days, the curators, in consultation with the Indian team management, will decide what type of pitch to provide, but it looks like England will once again be confronted with a slow turner at the picturesque venue.
Such tracks have helped the home team bounce back after losing the first Test in Hyderabad to win three games on the bounce to clinch the series ahead of the final match.
The Indian team management has realised what type of pitch plays to its strengths and is keen to stick to the tried and tested formula, and spinners are expected to come into the game under the Dhauladhar range as well.
Such tracks have helped the home team bounce back after losing the first Test in Hyderabad to win three games on the bounce to clinch the series ahead of the final match. (Express Photo Sandeep Dwivedi)
Unseasonal rain left the stadium outfield a bit damp and now it looks like a carpet rolled across the ground.
The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) had to give up a Test match against Australia in March as the outfield wasn’t ready and the Indian board had to shift the game to Indore at the eleventh hour.
However, since then, the venue has hosted several 50-over World Cup games last year and also staged a few Ranji Trophy games to ensure that they don’t face any criticism over the outfield.
The HPCA aims to make the final Test of the series a grand one and is expecting more than 5,000 travelling English fans for this game despite the hosts already winning the series.
Rohit, Dravid for inauguration?
Meanwhile, posters around Dharamsala talk of India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid inaugurating the third edition of the Khel Mahakhumbh in Bilaspur drict alongwith union sports miner and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur. According to a source, the duo are likely to fly down in a helicopter.

While addressing local media, BJP state secretary Narendra Atri said that various sporting activities will be conducted for the next few days at Luhnu ground, including kabaddi, volleyball, cricket, basketball and athletics. The road leading to the stadium has posters ‘welcoming’ Thakur, a former HPCA president, and his brother Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the IPL governing council.

Meanwhile, the Indian team had a rest day on Monday when they had a photo shoot for the T20 World Cup probables, who might be flown to the West Indies and USA in June. Players like Rinku Singh, who is not part of the Test team, were flown to Dharamsala and were seen posing for shutterbugs at the stadium.
The Indian team will have its first practice session before the fifth Test on Tuesday afternoon.