IND vs ENG - Fans raise eyebrows as Rajat Patidar side-lined from 5th Test over injury, Devdutt Padikkal makes debut

The fifth and final Test match between India and England saw the Three Lions' captain, Ben Stokes, win the toss and elect to bat first at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. England made one change in their Playing 11, bringing in Mark Wood in place of Ollie Robinson. For India, pacer Jasprit Bumrah made his return as he replaced Akash Deep. However, the other change is what got fans raising their eyebrows, as Rajat Patidar has been sidelined for this clash, and Devdutt Padikkal is making his debut. 

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

Patidar, in the three Test matches played against England after making his debut, scored just 63 runs, with 32 being his highest score. Soon, fans took to social media to question if the batter got injured or was made to sit on the bench due to his poor form. 

Many even questioned skipper Rohit Sharma, as on the eve of the game, at the press conference, he was backing Patidar and his batting abilities. This sudden injury seems to be a cover to get him out of the game.

Meanwhile, England's Jonny Bairstow and Indian spinner R Ashwin are all set to play their 100th Test match in Dharamsala. At the age of 37 years and 172 days, Ashwin will become the oldest player to reach the milestone. 

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During the ongoing series against England, Ashwin has not only crossed the 500-wicket milestone but has also eclipsed Anil Kumble's records for the most Test wickets taken in India and the highest number of five-wicket hauls.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes(c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes(w), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, James Anderson