Live cricket score and live updates from Day 1 of the fifth Test match between India and England being played at MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk stadium. After winning the series 3-0, India is eyeing their biggest series win against England. Alastair Cook is under tremendous pressure as it could be the end of his innings as captain if England loses the match.
Over 6 | Score 4/0 | (Cook 5*, Root 0*)
Ishant Sharma got India their first breakthrough when he lured Jennings with a length ball, invited him for a drive and the left-hander edged it to slips. Good, disciplined bowling by the Indian seamers so far. Joe Root is the new man in. This partnership will be crucial for England.
KK Jennings c Patel b Sharma 1 (17b)
Over 1 | Score 4/0 | (Cook 3*, Jennings 0*)
Umesh Yadav started the proceedings with the ball for India. Cook worked the first ball for a couple of runs with which he also completed 11, 000 runs in Test cricket. Cook is under severe pressure and he possibly has the last chance to save his captaincy by playing a big knock in the final Test of the series.
England's playing XI: A Cook (c), K Jennings, J Root, M Ali, J Bairstow (wk), B Stokes, J Buttler, L Dawson, A Rashid, S Broad, J Ball
Changes by England: James Anderson and Chris Woakes have been left out. Liam Dawson will make his debut. Stuart Broad is back from injury as well.
India's playing XI: M Vijay, L Rahul, C Pujara, V Kohli (c), K Nair, P Patel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, A Mishra, U Yadav, I Sharma
Changes by India: Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma replace Jayant Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
TOSS: England won the toss and Alastair Cook as expected, opted to bat first.
LIKELY XIs
India: KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin, Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
England: Alastair Cook (capt), Keaton Jennings, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Stuart Broad, Adil Rashid, Jake Ball
PREVIEW
Cricket will provide the ravaged city some succour and the Indian team an opportunity to record its biggest-ever series victory against England when the two sides lock horns in the fifth and final Test at Chennai.
The match will also be a chance for the Indians to stretch their unbeaten run to a record 18 matches.
The southern metropolis has been ravaged by Cyclone Vardah that left in its wake, large-scale destruction. The catastrophe did not spare the iconic Cheapauk either, but the square and the outfield have not been damaged.
In their quest to get the venue ready in time, the ground staff were yesterday seen using burning coal to dry the pitch to be used for the match, which was rendered inconsequential after India wrapped up the series with a convincing win in Mumbai.
Training was cancelled owing to a wet ground, despite the stadium boasting of one of the best drainage systems in the country.
India is leading the five-match series 3-0 and should they taste success in the final Test, it will be their biggest against England, the previous being the 3-0 whitewash in 1992-93 under Mohammed Azharuddin's captaincy.
It will be a sweet revenge for the twin defeats, including a 4-0 drubbing in 2011, which India suffered at the hands of England in the last two series between the two nations.