The equation is quite simple it’s 3-1 in favour of India, and despite the riveting series already in their pocket, Rohit Sharma & Co will look for another favourable result in the fifth and final Test to extend their lead in the World Test Championships standings when they take on England in ‘not-so Indian conditions’ at Dharamsala from Thursday.

Gearing up to host its second Test, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium offering a great view of the snow-veined Dhauladhars in the Himalayan town, is the least Indian of all Indian pitches in terms of conditions, and with the rain in the weeks leading up to the game, it could well serve as perfect ‘home’ conditions for the English outfit to regroup and bounce back after being hammered in the second, third and fourth Tests of the series.

There are chances of precipitation on the first two days of the match, and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 10 degrees before rising over the weekend. Both teams have used different lenses of judging the pitch. For two cricketers from either side for whom the Test holds greater significance — Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow, both on the verge of featuring in their 100th Test had different opinions on the surface on Tuesday.

While Bairstow suggested that it’s a ‘used surface’, Ashwin said both teams will be entering unknown territory considering the cold weather. Dharamsala has previously hosted one Test, back in 2017 but that game was played in the end of March, by which time Dharamsala started experiencing warmer conditions. But this match is played in the first week, so naturally there will be a difference in conditions.

India, however, are unlikely to tinker with their bowling combination of two pacers and three spinners. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s return will bolster the attack with Mohammed Siraj being the second seamer. This means Akash Deep, who impressed on debut in Ranchi, will most likely make way for Bumrah, who was rested from the fourth game to manage his workload.

Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, who has been able to play only 11 Tests since making a successful debut back here in 2017, will share the duties in the spin department.

The batting department is unlikely to see any major changes, and as such the fifth Test could be the one final opportunity for the struggling Rajat Patidar, who has aggregated only 63 runs in six innings at number four in his debut series, to prove his credentials.

While Devdutt Padikkal has so far warmed the bench, it looks unlikely that the top order batter could be played in the middle order. Sarfaraz Khan, who impressed on debut with twin fifties in Rajkot, will be desperate to get a big one and cement his place in the side.

India’s top order batting comprising Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have scored the bulk of the runs in the series so far, and will be expected to carry on their responsibilities. Dhruv Jurel, who almost owned the wicketkeeper-batter’s role in his debut series, will also look to cement his spot.

On the other hand, having lost their first series in the ‘Bazball era’, England will look to capitalize on the familiar conditions, and return home with their heads held high.

Bairstow, who is set to become the 17th overall English cricketer to feature in 100 Tests, will look to erase the below-par outings in the four Tests, and look for a memorable knock to celebrate the occasion. England fans have also arrived in the Himalayan town in big numbers and that could serve as an extra motivation for the visitors.

England, who went with only one specialist pacer at the start of the series and had two of them featuring in the last game, can field as many as three in the Test. Uncapped Gus Atkinson is in the mix and could play alongside James Anderson and Mark Wood, who is likely to replace Ollie Robinson. In the spin attack, part-timer Joe Root could lessen the burden from the two frontline slower options in Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley.