The colourful HPCA Stadium is a relative newcomer to Test cricket, being number 114 out of the 122 grounds to have hosted a men’s game. But nestled 1,317m above sea level, with a Toblerone of snow-capped Himalayan peaks as its backdrop and eagles swooping overhead, it is unquestionably among the most breathtaking.
Add the presence of the Dalai Lama, whom England’s cricketers are due to meet on Wednesday, a day out from the fifth Test, and the Tibetan population who live in exile in Dharamsala, and it ranks among the most fascinating, too. Even though India have won the series, those attending the region’s second Test match – its first since Australia lost by eight wickets back in 2017 – should feel pretty blessed.
All of which seems a decent antidote to what is known in cricket as departure lounge syndrome; the collective wave of mental fatigue that can strike a defeated touring side before a series is completed. Not that Ben Stokes views it this way. The England captain is taken by the venue – it is impossible to be anything but, hence the avalanche of photos on social media – but is also confident of motivation regardless of India’s unassailable 3-1 lead.
“I don’t think that anyone is thinking like that,” Stokes said on Tuesday, regarding thoughts turning towards home. “We feel every opportunity to play for England is special. That’s just our mentality and our mindset, regardless of where you are, or how long you’ve been away. But that shouldn’t take away from the fact that this place is pretty special.”
There are, of course, a number of milestones this week, be they 100 Test caps for Jonny Bairstow and Ravichandran Ashwin, Jimmy Anderson needing two wickets for 700, or young Yashasvi Jaiswal simply needing to nudge a single to break Virat Kohli’s Indian record of 655 runs in a Test series against England. Stokes shrugged off his 100th cap earlier in the tour, calling it “just a number”, but the sentiment regarding the buzzing Bairstow was different.
“This is probably going to be more of an emotional thing for Jonny than it ever was for me,” said Stokes. “He’s got his mam, his sister, his partner, his little baby boy and some friends here. Playing for England means so much to him. I’ve been there for a lot of his career, from age-group cricket to playing against him, or with him a lot for England. He’s one of our finest all-format batters and has done some unbelievable things.”
The match can also be viewed as ending the first half of the Bazball project that Bairstow kickstarted in 2022. Stokes does not have a term of office as captain but Brendon McCullum signed a four-year deal as head coach that runs until the end of the 2025-26 Ashes. The New Zealander is not one for overthinking the future – in contrast to what came before – but he is still working within the cycle that England’s Test side has long since operated.
After a breakneck start of 10 wins from 11 that saw a bold new culture embedded, results have tapered off as the quality of opposition has risen, with the ledger now reading: played 22, won 14, lost seven, drawn one (rain). A similar incline comes over the next two years with series against West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer, returns to Pakistan and New Zealand next winter, then two final challenges in 2025 with India at home and the next attempt to regain the urn from Australia.
England (possible): Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Bairstow, Stokes (c), Foakes (wk), Hartley, Wood, Anderson, Bashir
India (possible): Sharma (c), Jaiswal, Gill, Patidar, Jadeja, Sarfaraz, Jurel (wk), Ashwin, Kuldeep, Bumrah, Siraj
As such, the end of this tour may be a point at which to take stock; to decide which areas need a refresh. Harry Brook’s expected return is a natural one and will have a knock-on effect at wicketkeeper. The seam stable simply has to evolve, given Anderson’s age and Ollie Robinson’s unreliable fitness. Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have done enough to challenge Jack Leach’s status as first-choice spinner, unfortunate though this may be.
“If you take the results by themselves you’d say we’ve gone backwards,” said Stokes, offering a wider appraisal of the tour. “But we haven’t. The individuals and the team have massively evolved on this tour. Progression doesn’t always show itself with the results.”
Stokes cited fitness and attitude, even if the middle order have struggled and winning important moments has eluded England. Once again, he pushed back at the latter being a mental issue, pointing to India’s superiority at home. “All you can do is try your nuts off in the nets because that’s where you get better,” he added. “We ain’t been the pushovers like many teams have looked when they’ve come over here.”
Stokes was still mulling his final XI on Tuesday, torn between atmospherics akin to a county fixture in April and Sunil Chauhan, the head groundsman who sports a natty cowboy hat, having prepared a flat, beige pitch. Ashwin, speaking before his personal milestone, said the ground “sometimes feels like an away game in India” but the sense was that it will aid runscoring before taking spin later in the contest.
Not that India do not have all bases covered regardless, the hosts welcoming back Jasprit Bumrah after he missed the fourth Test for a breather. England were considering a return for Mark Wood, most likely for Robinson after last week’s rusty showing. But even if three seamers was the play – Bashir is nursing a sore spinning finger given his workload has entered new territory – the uncapped Gus Atkinson appears likelier.
Whatever the final selection and the scoreline that follows, a memorable week in the Himalayas awaits.
