DHARAMSALA, India, March 7, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - England skipper Ben Stokes won
the toss and elected to bat against India on Thursday as the visitors look
for a consolation win in the fifth Test.

India, led by Rohit Sharma, lost the opener but bounced back to take an
unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

England batsman Jonny Bairstow has won his 100th cap and India spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin also reaches a century of Tests at the picturesque
Dharamsala stadium, overshadowed by the snowcapped Himalayas.

There have been unseasonal rains leading up to the Test -- and there was a
forecast of cold and sleet on day one -- but bright, sunny weather greeted
players in the morning.

Bairstow was presented with his 100th cap by former captain Joe Root with his
mother, sister, partner and his son looking on.

India held an on-field ceremony for Ashwin's milestone, with coach Rahul
Dravid presenting the cap in front of the veteran spinners' wife and two
daughters.

Ashwin later walked out to a guard of honour by the Indian players.

England named their XI on the eve of the match, making one change from their
previous loss -- with Mark Wood replacing fellow quick Ollie Robinson.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir returned to the field after he missed training on
Wednesday due to a stomach bug.

Veteran seamer James Anderson, 41, is just two shy of becoming the third
bowler to take 700 Test wickets after Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800)
and the late Australian great Shane Warne (708).

India made two changes, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returning to the
team after he was rested in the fourth match.

Bumrah comes in place of fellow quick Akash Deep and batsman Devdutt Padikkal
has been handed his debut, after Rajat Patidar was injured while training on
Wednesday.

India last lost a Test series at home in 2012 when Alastair Cook's England
beat the hosts 2-1.

Teams

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal,
Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel(wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep
Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben
Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson,
Shoaib
Bashir.

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)