India and England will square off for the fifth and final Test match at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, starting on March 7.
India already have the series in the pocket, thanks to their fantastic five-wicket win in the fourth Test in Ranchi, where Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel's handy knocks ensured that India head into the final Test with an unassailable 3-1 lead.
It has been an absorbing Test series. While the scoreline reads 3-1 in India's favour, the Ben Stokes-led England side have given Rohit Sharma and Co. a run for their money several times in the past month and a half. It has been a far closer series than what the 3-1 scoreline indicates.
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Dharamsala will host a Test match only for the second time ever, with the previous and only Test match at this venue taking place seven years ago between India and Australia.
In this piece, The Sporting News brings you all the information related to the weather conditions for the fifth Test.
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Will rainfall / snowfall affect the fifth Test in Dharamsala?
Renowned cricket commentator and analyst Harsha Bhogle took to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about the weather forecast in Dharamsala during the fifth Test.
"I am due to go to Dharamshala in a week. I checked the forecast today and just reading that makes me shiver. Max temperature forecast for March 07 (at this stage, hopefully it will change) is 10°. Temperature forecast at 7 am is 2°! Snow??" Bhogle tweeted.
I am due to go to Dharamshala in a week. I checked the forecast today and just reading that makes me shiver. Max temperature forecast for March 07 (at this stage, hopefully it will change) is 10°. Temperature forecast at 7 am is 2°!
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 27, 2024
Snow?? pic.twitter.com/8H5JNMQF9n
According to a report by The Indian Express, the current climactic conditions in Dharamsala prompted the BCCI and the HPCA to start working on the pitch well in advance ahead of the fifth Test.
“It all depends on moisture levels. If it is on the higher side, it would aid the seamers. And since the natural conditions would definitely bring more moisture, one needs to start the preparations early. Instead of starting it 10 days before the Test, the work began 15-20 days in advance. It will also give everyone a fair picture of how the pitch behaves and the ground staff can prepare accordingly. There could be movement because of overhead conditions, but there won’t be seam movement off the pitch,” sources told The Indian Express.
As per the weather forecasts on AccuWeather, there is probability of snowfall if the temperatures are sub-zero. On Day 1 of the fifth Test, March 7, the conditions are likely going to be overcast during the early hours with 58% probability of precipitation.
Owing to its high elevation, the city of Dharamsala receives snowfall in the winter. Consequently, there's a good chance that the snow will force the game to be halted or delayed.
Furthermore, there is a greater than 50% probability of precipitation throughout the Test's first two days. According to the current weather report, forced breaks during the game are therefore expected to be spoilsport.
Given that it's going to be both cloudy and chilly, there will be higher amounts of moisture in the air, which will assist fast bowlers and make batting tougher. Think of it as a pitch in England during July/August.
India squad for the fifth Test vs England
IND squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep
