India have clinched the five-match Test series against England 3-0, with a game still to be played, but the home team will be more than determined to sign off on a high, winning the series 4-0 as the fifth match is scheduled to be played in Chennai, starting Friday.
India have been brilliant, scoring runs and taking important wickets at the right juncture to turn dominant in the series. England, who started the series with a draw in the first Test, have lost three on a trot, and they will be a disappointed lot with these results. This is their final chance to prove they can deliver in India, where the wickets might have been challenging for the visitors.
Here is a look at some key players from both the teams for the fifth Test.
India
KL Rahul
There is a strong competition for the opener's slot in the Test team. Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan are the regular openers, but KL Rahul has given them a close fight for that place in the recent past. WIth Shikhar injured, Rahul had a huge chance to cement his place with some good runs under his belt, but that has not happened. He has played two matches and Rahul has not been up to the mark. He has scored 34 runs in two Test matches, which is below par for the talented batsman. This match will be crucial for him and a solid innings from him will not only help him but give India a huge advantage in the final Test match.
Jayant Yadav
The off-spinner has been one of the most impressive players in the series for India. Jayant was primarily picked for his bowling skills, but he has delivered with the bat too, scoring his maiden hundred in the last Test match. He might be just three Test matches old, but there is an air of confidence in his bowling and batting. He has picked nine wickets in the series so far. Jayant will once again hope to be amongst the wickets and add important runs in the lower order with the bat and further justify his place for the future Test series as well.
England
Joe Root
The pitches in India might have turned quite a bit, as expected, but Root has stood tall and scored some good runs, including a ton and three half-centuries. Unfortunately, none of his scores have helped England win the match. The right-hander must have understood about the need to score some runs in the fifth match if they are to come close to signing off from the Test series with a win. With Root being a quality batsmen of both the spinners and pacers, England will hope that he will score majority of the runs in the fifth Test.
Adil Rashid
The leg spinner has troubled India batsmen, as his wickets column in the series reflect. Rashid, who is their number one spinner in the squad, has taken an incredible 22 wickets. The leggie can be dangerous with the Chennai pitch which is expected to assist the spinners, as in the past. If the bowler can take early wickets in his first spell, England could be in the driver's seat, provided they close India's tail early too, as dismissing the home team's lower order for cheap runs has been a problem for England.
