26 February,2024 05:32 PM IST | Ranchi | mid-day online correspondent
Team England (Pic: AFP)
The England Test squad members will split across Chandigarh and Bengaluru during the one-week break they have got ahead of the fifth and final Test against India beginning March 7 in Dharamsala.
The side has conceded a series-deciding 1-3 lead after going down by five wickets in the IND vs ENG 4th Test on Monday. In the long break between the second and third Test, the whole of England squad had spent its free time in Abu Dhabi.
It was also in Abu Dhabi that the Ben Stokes-led side had trained before arriving in India for the series that began on January 25. However, the players have chosen Chandigarh and Bengaluru for the week leading up to the Dharamsala Test.
"The squad will be split across Chandigarh and Bengaluru before the fifth Test. They are unlikely to hit the nets during the break. The squad arrives in Dharamsala about three days before the Test (March 4)," an ECB source told PTI.
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The loss against India in the IND vs ENG 4th Test is the visitors' first series defeat in the 'Bazball' era. It is also the tenth Test defeat for Stokes, Joe Root and veteran pacer James Anderson in India. They are now level with former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting in terms of Test defeats in India.
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Overnight 40/0 in a chase of 192 here, India romped home after surviving a few hiccups with the opening duo of skipper Rohit Sharma (55 off 81 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (37 off 44 balls) providing the perfect platform for others to build with their 84-run stand on day four of the match.
There were some jitters after the two departed in close succession followed by Rajat Patidar and Ravindra Jadeja's dismissal but Shubman Gill (52 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (39 not out) guided the side past the finishing line with an unbeaten 72-run partnership.
Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley (1/64) took the prized scalp of Rohit, while Shoaib Bashir was the most successful English bowler, scalping 3/79 in the second innings for a match haul of eight wickets.
For the unversed, India's last home series loss was a 1-2 defeat to an Alastair Cook-led England in 2012-13. Since then, India have won 39 out of 50 Tests at home.
(With agency inputs)
