Why are Rajat Patidar and Akash Deep not playing 5th Test against England?

Following a 10-day hiatus, India and England return to play the fifth and final Test of their ongoing five-match Test series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, one of the coldest regions of the country. England's skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first. The conditions at the venue are anticipated to be especially demanding, calling for the utmost from players.

In a recent update, India made changes to their playing XI, dropping Rajat Patidar and Akash Deep. Patidar sustained a left ankle injury during a practice session on March 6, 2024, and was unable to recover in time for selection. On the other hand, Akash makes way for ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah, who returns after missing the Ranchi Test courtesy of the team management wanting to manage his workload.

Notably, Devdutt Padikkal is making his Test debut replacing Patidar. Ravichandran Ashwin, who is set to play his 100th Test, presented the debut cap to the Kerala-born southpaw. In a special ceremony, head coach Rahul Dravid later presented the veteran spinner with his 100th Test cap. 

"Rajat Patidar got hit on his left ankle during Team India's practice session on 6th March, 2024. He pulled up sore on the morning of the game and was not available for selection for the 5th Test," BCCI wrote on their 'X' handle.

Check out BCCI's latest post here:

Mark Wood replaces Ollie Robinson for England

Ollie Robinson remained absent from the ground due to illness, prompting England to enlist the services of fast bowler Mark Wood.

The Test match in Dharamshala is anticipated to deliver another intense showdown, with India aiming to secure a 4-1 series victory, while England's captain Ben Stokes has stated that "3-2 sounds better than 3-1 or 4-1". However, there is concern among fans as the threat of rain looms heavily over the game. According to AccuWeather, there is a 94% chance of rain on Day 1, with a 15% chance of thunderstorms.