Indian batsman Devdutt Padikkal earned his maiden test cap in the fifth and final test match against England at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday
With this, Padikkal became the fifth Indian cricketer to make his test debut in the ongoing series. The left-handed batter replaced Rajat Patidar, who sustained an ankle injury during a training session on the eve of the match.
Notably, Padikkal was handed over the Test cap by all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who is playing his 100th Test along with England’s Jonny Bairstow.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old will have to wait to show his batting prowess as England captain Ben Stokes elected to bat after winning the toss at the picturesque stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh.
After 35 overs, England lost two wickets and posted 131 runs on board. Kuldeep Yadav took both wickets.
“It is another opportunity to go out there and represent your country … every game is an event in itself,” Stokes said.
Key changes in the squad
From England’s side, fast bowler Mark Wood replaced Ollie Robinson in the only change for the visitors, who will be playing for pride after India grabbed an unassailable 3-1 lead in Ranchi.
India dropped Akash Deep and welcomed back pacer Jasprit Bumrah as they seek to consolidate their position at the top of the World Test Championship standings.
“We have done well in the series so far and this is an opportunity for us to finish it on a high,” India captain Rohit Sharma said.
A glance at both teams
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
England: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Shoaib