IND vs ENG 5th Test: Dharamsala pitch report, stats, win and loss records

Only one Test has been played here which was won by India against Australia by 8 wickets. The wicket at Dharamsala is contrary to the wintry surroundings, It is dry and generally on the slower side

"It is going to be a used pitch from last month’s Ranji Trophy game" is the cacophony surrounding Dharamsala ahead of the fifth and final Test, starting Thursday (March 7, 2024) between India and England at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium. 

Check India vs England 5th Test live cricket score and match updates here

However, it is not the wicket, but more the conditions that have caught the attention of not only the visiting side but also their fans. Dharamsala's cold weather conditions, which is close to home for England and their fans in terms of the chill and the nip in the air, has got a lot of visitors from England in huge numbers to witness their team play 'Bazball' for the last time in India for at least two-three years. 

Jonny Bairstow on India vs England 5th Test

Jonny Bairstow, who will be featuring in his 100th Test for the English side said that is a used pitch and hence it will more likely offer not a lot of help to the seamers and spinners will once again be ruling the roost. 

"It's a used pitch from the Ranji Trophy last month… let’s see. Ground staff have done an amazing job with the pitch considering the weather we have had here,” Bairstow told a reporter one day before the start of the match. 

Rohit on Dharamsala wicket 

Rohit Sharma the Indian captain, on the other hand, was optimistic about the wicket. He said on first look it resembled any other Indian wicket and it would be a sporting pitch in Dharamsala. 

"I have not played a Test match here. Looking at the pitch, it looks like a good pitch. It will be a typical Indian pitch with some movement at the start and towards the end,” he said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, March 5 at Dharamsala. 

Dharamsala Test pitch report

Rain hampered the curators from working a lot on the wicket and it remained under the covers for more than a week, before being exposed to the sun for two days before the match. On the matchday, the weather is going to play a big role as rain is expected on Thursday, which can give more moisture to the wicket. 

So the pitch might be slow in terms of the kind of soil it is made up of which is loamy. However, with the moisture sustained due to it being under cover during rain and with the wind bowling around, it might assist pacers on first two days of the Test match and whenever there is a bit of cloud in the surroundings. 

In the later days, with the sun beating down the ground, it will become easier to bat and hence fielding first might not be a bad call here. Purely because of the role of the weather. Otherwise during sunny weather batting first would be the best choice. 

Dharamsala: IND vs ENG 5th Test key stats

Although a picturesque venue, which should attract a lot of red-ball cricket as the green grass on the pitch, snow-white mountains in the backdrop and lush green trees on the surrounding hills paint a mouthwatering picture on the screens when the players donning the white take the field in a holiday destination. 

However, only one game has been played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Although a lot of First Class Matches have been played here since its revamp version was inaugurated in 2013. 

• Match Won by Team Batting First- 0
• Match Won by Team Batting Second -1
• Highest First Innings Total- 332 by India vs Australia, 2017
• Lowest First Innings Total- 300 by Australia vs India, 2017
• Highest Second Innings Total- 137/10 by Australia vs India, 2017
• Lowest Second Innings Total- 106/2 by India vs Australia, 2017 

IND vs ENG 5th Test: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association win-loss Record

India has a 100 per cent winning record as they won the only match played here in 2017 against Australia where they chased down the target of 106 with eight wickets in hand. England has not played any Test here, although they played an ODI here in the ODI World Cup 2023 and won against Bangladesh in a high-scoring encounter.