Bairstow Under Pressure In 100th Test After Lean India Series

Struggling England batsman Jonny Bairstow looks to be fighting to save his Test career when the fifth and final match against India begins in Dharamsala on Thursday.

Jonny Bairstow (Image Source: Google)

'Big occasion'

Bairstow showed glimpses of a return to form in the fourth Test but could not convert good starts, where he reached 38 and 30 in each innings respectively, into substantial scores.

Former captain Joe Root also struggled in the first three Tests, but struck form as he knuckled down to score a sublime century in the fourth on a testing wicket.

Veteran seamer James Anderson, 41, is just two wickets away from 700 wickets and becoming the third bowler, after Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and late Australian spin legend Shane Warne (708), to achieve the milestone.

The weather in Dharamsala could play a huge part in the match. The picturesque ground is surrounded by snow-capped peaks at an altitude of 1,317 metres (4,320 feet).

There is a risk of sleet and forecasts say temperatures could plunge as low as 1C (33.8 Fahrenheit) on Thursday.

India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will return after being rested but the focus will be on Ashwin, 37, who made his debut in 2011.

Ashwin has 507 Test victims, second only to Anil Kumble's 619 wickets on India's all-time list.

"It's a pretty big occasion -- more than the destination, the journey has been very special," Ashwin told reporters.

"But it doesn't change anything... 3-1 scoreline is on the board, and despite the scoreline, you want to win every Test match that you play."

India won in Ranchi by five wickets and have not lost a home series since 2012, when Alastair Cook's England won 2-1.

The hosts have unearthed new talent in the series, such as Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan, in the absence of Virat Kohli and the injured KL Rahul.

Batsman Devdutt Padikkal is in line for his debut in place of Rajat Patidar, who has managed just 63 runs in six innings in his maiden series.

Left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal leads the series batting with 655 runs, including two double centuries.

England spinner Tom Hartley is the leading wicket-taker with 20. Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin all have 17 wickets.