Ben Stokes bagging a wicket with his first ball in 251 days was described as “magical” by England assistant Jeetan Patel on an otherwise difficult day in Dharamsala.

England appeared bereft after a wicketless first session on day two of the fifth Test as hundreds from Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) carried India into a position of outright dominance.

Stokes had one trump card left and used it in the second over after lunch, bowling competitively for the first time since July 1 last year and producing a beauty which thudded into Rohit’s off stump.

India closed on 473 for eight and a lead of 255 after England fought back in the final session, while Stokes’ instant impact and his five-over spell which yielded one for 17 augurs well for the future.

“He’s a freak,” said Patel. “It was almost written in the stars that he was going to bowl a jaffa first up. It’s magical, isn’t it? It’s so nice to see him back.

“He came on to bowl when the English crowds are waking up; they’re flicking on the TV and the first thing they see is Ben Stokes bowling a really good delivery to Rohit Sharma.”

Stokes has been a specialist batter for the last eight months and had surgery in November to remove a bone spur and reinforce his meniscus with stitches to try to resolve a longstanding left knee issue.

Stokes had made a “pinky promise” with England’s physiotherapist Ben Davies not to bowl on this tour but he has progressed well enough in his recovery and been operating at full tilt in practice recently.

Having teased the possibility of resuming his all-rounder status in recent weeks, the England captain broke his vow to Davies and showed he was worth the wait but barely acknowledged his breakthrough.

“We all know how we can round our attack out, especially in conditions like these where you’ve usually got two spinners, two seamers and then you want your third in Stokesy,” said Patel.

“It was nice to see him back at the crease but we’ve just got to be careful we don’t push him too far, it’s still early days. It’s exciting to see him support the bowlers on a day where it’s a hard slog.”

England’s hopes of a consolation win to end the series with a 3-2 loss steadily slipped away on Friday, with the efforts of Rohit and Gill added to by debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65) and Sarfaraz Khan (56).

All of India’s top five made fifty-plus scores but they lurched from 376 for three to 428 for eight as Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley made inroads, plugging away despite toiling for much of the day.

Off-spinner Bashir was tireless and claimed 44-5-170-4, while slow left-armer Hartley was similarly resolute and snared Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the same over in his 39-3-126-2.

The pair’s prospects of game time for their counties this summer are uncertain, with Bashir behind Jack Leach in the Somerset pecking order, while Hartley’s Lancashire have signed Nathan Lyon.

“My work continues when they are not with England,” said former New Zealand off-spinner Patel. “I am not the sort of bloke who is going to leave them in the lurch.

“It’s probably too far away to talk about it. But it would be nice to see these guys get more opportunities to bowl, get more overs in them, because they obviously have something to offer.”

England toiled despite Ben Stokes bagging a wicket with his first delivery in 251 days as hundreds from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill saw India take an iron grip on the fifth Test.

India’s overnight pair helped them into the lead in a wicketless first session on day two but with England’s prospects growing ever bleaker, Stokes produced a beauty first up to castle Rohit for 103.

James Anderson moved to Test wicket 699 by bowling Gill for 110 but the floodgates did not open as Devdutt Padikkal’s 65 on debut and Sarfaraz Khan’s 56 lifted India to 473 for eight and a lead of 255.

Shoaib Bashir took four wickets and led the fightback in the evening but conceded 170 and was thumped for eight sixes, while Tom Hartley dismissed Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the same over.

Mark Wood leaked 89 from 15 wicketless overs and Anderson was also expensive in his 14-1-59-1 as England endured one of their most difficult days of the tour in Dharamsala.

A bid to end the series with a consolation win is all but over but Stokes provided a moment of magic on his return to bowling for the first time since July 1 in last year’s Ashes.

He has featured as a specialist batter since then and had surgery in November to remove a bone spur and reinforce his meniscus with stitches to try to resolve a longstanding complaint in his left knee.

Stokes had made a “pinky promise” with England’s physiotherapist Ben Davies not to bowl on this tour but he has progressed well enough in his recovery and been operating at full tilt in practice recently.

Having teased the possibility of resuming his all-rounder status in recent weeks, the England captain broke his vow to Davies and showed he was worth the wait with a scarcely credible instant impact.

England had barely had a sniff and seemed to be lacking in inspiration as Rohit and Gill put on 171, with the pair each going past three figures before lunch to carry India to an imposing 275 for one.

Stokes had an extended warm-up during the interval and unleashed himself in the second over of the session. A loosener might have been understandable, even acceptable, but Stokes’ angled delivery held its line, beat the outside edge after a flat-footed push from Rohit and thudded into off-stump.

Stokes barely acknowledged what he had done, high-fiving a couple of team-mates in understated fashion but Wood put his hands to his head and beamed in stunned disbelief.

Anderson found a hint of reverse swing to bowl Gill through the gate seven balls later and England sensed an opening. However, Stokes was frustrated at being unable to hang on to a low return catch diving forward when Sarfaraz was on two, albeit off a no-ball.

Stokes sent down a tidy spell of 5-1-17-1 and did not bowl again, keeping Sarfaraz and Test debutant Padikkal quiet. Sarfaraz took just nine off his first 30 balls but a rash of boundaries after Stokes excused himself brought up a fifty off only 55 deliveries.

Padikkal was a useful foil but Bashir ended a 97-run union when Sarfaraz guided the first ball after tea to slip.

Padikkal became the last of India’s top five to go past 50 in this innings but he was caught on the crease and Bashir beat a defensive poke to peg back off stump.

Hartley found sharp turn to have Jadeja lbw after a laboured 15 while Ashwin, on his 100th Test, followed in the same over for a duck when he was beaten with an arm ball and bowled.

Kuldeep Yadav (27 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (19no) added gloss to India’s total and, perhaps to their relief, England did not have to bat the final few overs.

India earlier advanced an overnight 135 for one to 264 without further loss in the opening session, with both Rohit and Gill imperious, while a couple of misfields on the boundary hardly helped England, who had collapsed from 175 for three to 218 all out the previous day.

Rohit offered a glimpse of a chance on 68 after glancing Bashir fine but Zak Crawley, perhaps unsighted at leg slip, was too late to get in position as the ball flicked off his fingertips and away.

England were unable to exert much control, with Gill disdainfully thrashing Anderson back over his head for six before carting Bashir twice over the rope. Rohit reached his ton first while Gill did in the next over with a slog sweep for four off Bashir to get to the milestone off 137 balls.

NB: Catch the action from the fifth Test between India and England on Sportsmax!

 Dario Barthley and Naasira Mohammed have resigned their positions in Cricket West Indies Media Department, Barbadian broadcaster Andrew Mason is reporting. The news follows on the heels of the departure of long-time media and public relations manager Phillip Spooner in January.

According to Mason, Barthley has already obtained a new job in Bermuda.

Sportsmax.TV has independently confirmed both resignations.

The news of the resignations comes as a shock with the ICC Cricket World Cup set to begin on June 1, 2024.

Sportsmax.TV will have further updates on this developing story.

Ben Stokes bagged a wicket with his first competitive delivery since surgery on his knee last year although England remain behind the eight-ball in Dharamsala.

England’s prospects were growing increasingly bleak after centuries from India pair Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill on the second morning of the fifth Test but Stokes stepped up in jaw-dropping fashion.

Having teased a return to bowling for the past few weeks, the England captain showed he was worth the wait by beating the outside edge of a flat-footed Rohit and clipping the top of off-stump, sending his opposite number back in the second over after lunch for 103.

James Anderson moved to Test wicket 699 by castling Shubman Gill through the gate for 110 but India remain firmly in charge after going to tea on 376 for three, putting them 158 ahead of their opponents.

Sarfaraz Khan was unbeaten on 56 off just 59 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal ended the session on 44 not out as England’s hopes of a consolation victory at the end of the series continue to recede.

Stokes, though, provided the magic moment 251 days since he last bowled on July 1. He has been used exclusively as a batter since then and went under the knife in November to remove a bone spur and have his meniscus reinforced with stitches to try to resolve a longstanding complaint in his left knee.

He had made a “pinky promise” with England’s physiotherapist Ben Davies not to bowl on this tour but he has progressed well enough in his recovery and been operating at full tilt in practice sessions.

Even in a career full of highlight-reel moments, this was still scarcely credible from Stokes. England barely had a sniff as Rohit and Gill put on 171 and the pair each went past three figures to carry to an imposing 275 for one in response to England’s 218.

There was no loosener from Stokes, whose angled first delivery held its line and beat Rohit’s tentative push before disturbing the stumps. Stokes barely acknowledged what he had done but Mark Wood had his hands on his head in disbelief, while Brendon McCullum cupped his hand to his mouth on the sidelines.

Anderson found a hint of reverse swing to send back Gill eight balls later and England sensed an opening. However, Stokes was frustrated at being unable to hang on to a low return catch diving forward when Sarfaraz was on two and while it was a no-ball, it was a let-off for the batter.

Stokes sent down a tidy spell of 5-1-17-1 as Sarfaraz and Test debutant Padikkal started cautiously. Sarfaraz took just nine off his first 30 balls, kept quiet by Stokes and initially Wood, before exploding with a rash of boundaries to bring up his fifty off only 55 deliveries.

Padikkal was a useful foil as their partnership advanced to an unbroken 97 in just 131 balls as India ended the session firmly in command.

England’s batting collapse on day one left them needing wickets on the second morning but India advanced an overnight 135 for one to 264 without further loss in the opening session, with both Rohit and Gill imperious.

Rohit offered the merest of chances on 68 after glancing Shoaib Bashir off his hip but Zak Crawley, perhaps unsighted at leg slip, was too late to get in position as the ball flicked off his fingertips and away.

England were unable to exert much control, with Gill disdainfully thrashing Anderson back over his head for six before carting Bashir twice over the rope. Rohit was the first to his century off 154 balls while Gill did so in the next over, off 137 deliveries, with a slog sweep for four off Bashir.

England’s bowlers toiled without any reward as unbeaten centuries from India pair Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill snuffed out hope of a fightback in Dharamsala.

A batting collapse on the opening day of the fifth Test left England behind the eight-ball and India advanced an overnight 135 for one to 264 without further loss to move 46 ahead on the second morning.

Zak Crawley got fingertips to a chance presented by Rohit but it was otherwise one-way traffic as India’s captain reached three figures just before Gill on the stroke of lunch.

Rohit ended the session on 102 not out, with Gill unbeaten on 101 in an unbroken stand of 160 and England’s hopes of a consolation win at the end of this series are growing ever more bleak.

Mark Wood bowled in excess of 90mph regularly and was perhaps a tad unfortunate to concede 60 in nine overs while Shoaib Bashir was also expensive. Tom Hartley offered a degree of control but was non-threatening while James Anderson sent down just three overs, leaking 16 runs.

England started the day needing quick wickets and while Bashir started with a maiden, he was carted back over his head twice by Rohit for six-four while Gill disdainfully stepped down to Anderson and launched the veteran seamer over the rope.

Rohit offered the merest of chances on 68 after turning Bashir off his hip but Crawley, perhaps unsighted at leg slip, was too late to get in position as the ball flicked off his fingertips and away.

India’s first 50 runs came off 56 balls and while England were able to briefly slow up the scoring rate, they were unable to exert any pressure. Wood drew the outside edge of Gill but the ball flew wide of the lone slip and the batter middled one through point for four later in the over.

The 100-run stand came off just 149 balls after Rohit stepped to leg and smashed Wood through vacant mid-off for four, while a 94mph attempted yorker was driven straight for another boundary by Gill.

Bashir, whose first 17-over spell yielded 86, was greeted back into the attack with a six by Gill which took India into the lead while another maximum left the young off-spinner with his hands on his head.

It was just a question of who would reach their hundred first, with Rohit winning the race with a single into the leg-side off Hartley, while Gill slog swept Bashir for his 10th four, to go with five sixes, to bring up his ton.

England captain Heather Knight had no hesitation in putting country before club but admitted the T20 franchise league boom will take women’s cricket into uncharted territory.

With England’s first match on a white-ball tour of New Zealand starting on March 19, two days after the Women’s Premier League final, Knight withdrew from a planned stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt and Alice Capsey had England’s blessing to go to the WPL and will therefore miss the first three of five T20s against the White Ferns this month.

It is hoped a repeat scenario can be avoided in the future with a specially-designated WPL window but Knight is aware the proliferation of domestic T20 tournaments opens avenues to women like never before.

“It was a pretty easy decision for me as England captain, it’s the right thing for me to be there for the whole of the England tour,” Knight told the PA news agency ahead of International Women’s Day.

“I’d always agreed to play the England games and wanted to, that was a given. I was trying to negotiate with the franchise around leaving a little bit early, but unfortunately that didn’t come to fruition.

“It was just unfortunately a little bit too tight with the flights and stuff and we couldn’t get the tour pushed back. As the game evolves, players have got more decisions to make as those options increase.

“It’s a sign of lots of opportunities in the women’s game but hopefully there’s a place for both franchise and international cricket to co-exist. It’s certainly interesting going forward.”

The quartet at the WPL – who will be available from the fourth T20 in a tour also including three ODIs – are earning lucrative sums at their franchises with Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone on six-figure deals.

Knight sees the upshot for England as they can get a feel for Asian conditions before the autumn’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh but she warned that workloads must also be given consideration going forward.

“I actually think some of our players playing in the WPL would be a huge benefit for England in the future and hopefully we’ll see that benefit at the T20 World Cup,” Knight said.

“It’s great for players and there are so many more opportunities but players are now having to make tricky choices around what’s best for them and how to manage the calendar.

“It’s becoming pretty much impossible to play in all the big franchise competitions and every game of cricket for your country.

“We’ll certainly see players trying to manage their workload and try and peak at the right time for big tournaments like the T20 World Cup.”

Knight was speaking after another revolutionary past 12 months for women’s cricket, with the 2023 Ashes generating record attendances and viewing figures, while England’s male and female cricketers are now paid equal match fees.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is now attempting to implement a radical shake-up of the domestic women’s game, which will see a three-tier structure and change in ownership model introduced from 2025.

“It seems like every year is groundbreaking and lots of changes,” Knight added. “It’s the fast-paced nature of things and trying to accelerate that move towards equity with the men’s game.

“The steps have been really good and it’s another exciting place to be. Last year was another remarkable year but let’s hope for another remarkable and groundbreaking year this year.”

Jamaica remained unbeaten while Guyana and Barbados picked up their first wins of the season in round two action in the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup in St. Kitts on Wednesday.

Stafanie Taylor once again led Jamaica to a comfortable 9-wicket win over the Leeward Islands at Conaree Cricket Centre.

Batting first the Leeward Islands fell short of a 100-run total, as they were bowled out for 98 in 35.1 overs. Vanessa Watts and Taylor, with their off-spin, combined for 6 wickets between them.

Watts had figures of 3/15 while Taylor had 3/16. Reniece Boyce was the stop scorer for the Leewards with 37, followed by Shebani Bhaskar 14 and Shanwnisha Hector 14.

Experienced batters Rashada Williams and Chedean Nation then made quick work of the small target, to reach victory in 11.2 overs, to end of 99/1. Williams 29 and Nation 61 remained not out when victory was achieved.

Guyana earned their first win of the tournament with a handsome 44-run win over the Windward Islands at Warner Park.

Batting first a patient 61 off 102 deliveries from Shabika Gajnabi and 42 from skipper Shemaine Campbelle propelled Guyana to 207/8 from their 50 overs.

Carena Noel once again starred for the Windwards with her spin, taking 3/47. Nerissa Crafton continued her run of form with the bat with a quickfire 47 off 54 deliveries, but it was not enough as she ran out of partners to take their team to victory, as the Windwards were bowled out for 163 in 40.2 overs.

Plaffiana Millington, Ashmini Munisar and Nyia Latchman all had 2 wickets a piece, to finish with figures of 2/23, 2/31, 2/38 respectively.

In the final match, Trinidad and Tobago Divas suffered their second defeat in as many matches, when they lost by 8 runs to archrivals Barbados at St. Paul’s Sports Complex.

Batting first, Barbados 186 all out in 48.4 overs, thanks to a brilliant 93 from captain Kycia Knight.

Knight’s innings of 134 deliveries which included seven fours and a six, looked set to take Barbados well past 200 but tactical bowling and a batting collapse prevented that.

Karishma Ramharack once again led the Divas bowling figures with 4/20 followed by Samara Ramnath with 3/38.

In their run-chase, the Divas had 33 from skipper Britney Cooper, 32 from Ramnath and 26 from Lee Ann Kirby but the rest of the batters failed to fire as they finished on 178/8 from 50 overs. Aaliyah Alleyne and Keila Elliott had figures of 2/33 from 10 0vers each.

Round 3 matches see Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago Divas at Conaree, Guyana vs Barbados at St. Paul’s and the Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands at Warner Park.

England assistant Marcus Trescothick was unable to put much of a positive spin on their latest batting collapse but insisted they are not “dead and buried” in Dharamsala yet.

With the Test series in India already lost, England are searching for a consolation win and Zak Crawley made a battling 79 but the tourists unravelled from 137 for two and 175 for three to 218 all out.

Kuldeep Yadav collected five for 72 while Ravichandran Ashwin marked his 100th Test with figures of four for 51 as all 10 England wickets fell to spin in chilly conditions before India closed on 135 for one.

The in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal muscled three sixes in his 57 off 58 balls while Rohit Sharma went to stumps on day one of this fifth and final Test on 52 not out to leave India just 83 runs behind.

“It’s been a disappointing day,” Trescothick said. “We were hoping for a lot more with winning the toss. We’re a bit behind the game, it’s not quite the score we wanted.

“We got to lunch quite nicely, had a bit of luck here and there and managed to get to that point where we were OK and the afternoon was where it all changed.

“Kuldeep spun the ball hard, more than we’ve seen from anyone else so far. Of course we’re disappointed to not quite match up to what we expect.

“But you never look upon it as ‘we’re dead and buried’. Everyone will take a look at themselves and potentially go, ‘All right, I can be better than I’ve been’ and hopefully we can put that right.”

While the dismissals of Jonny Bairstow, on his 100th Test, Joe Root and Ben Stokes within eight balls was the turning point as England dramatically crumbled, Ollie Pope had another forgettable outing.

Pope’s brilliant 196 underpinned a famous England triumph in Hyderabad in the series opener but he has made just 100 runs in his eight other innings and often appeared skittish when at the crease.

England head coach Brendon McCullum said recently the key for Pope is “to not have played his innings before he goes out there” but he was again ill-at-ease in his 24 balls here.

In the final over before lunch, Pope rashly charged at Kuldeep but seemingly failed to pick the left-arm wrist-spinner’s googly and was stumped by a long way by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel for 11.

“Ollie Pope is someone who cannot stay still at the crease for a long time,” Kuldeep said. “His style is such that he steps out a lot and tries to dominate the spinners by hitting them down the ground.

“He had stepped out early, so it was easy for me to change the variation. It was not that I had planned in advance. When I saw him coming out, I changed it.”

Trescothick, though, threw his backing behind England’s number three.

“Getting into an innings is always challenging over here, and facing high quality spin,” Trescothick said. “That is part of his game he is looking to improve on.

“I think we’d all agree that after his 196 in Hyderabad we had seen an improvement and we saw parts of his game that are definitely getting better. Let’s keep allowing that to happen.

“The more we knock down and put pressure on people, the challenges will come. He’s definitely improving, as are many other players in our team.”

While Shoaib Bashir recovered sufficiently from a stomach upset to take the field, Ollie Robinson was still feeling unwell and left at the team hotel, bringing England’s number down to 13 fit players.

Trescothick and fellow England assistant Paul Collingwood have been drafted in as substitute fielders at 48 and 47 years old respectively. Trescothick, though, hopes to avoid fielding duties.

“If I do, I’ll be standing at long-leg or something like that,” the former Somerset opener said. “I think Colly’s chomping at the bit to get on there!

“I think we’ve worked out a plan; it’s not going to happen, we’re not going to get on the field, we’ve got enough reserves in place.”

England were left in a spin after Zak Crawley’s battling 79 as their final assignment on a long tour of India threatened to go awry in Dharamsala.

Seeking a consolation win in a series they trail 3-1, England endured a chastening opening day to the fifth Test after crumbling from 137 for two before Crawley’s dismissal to 218 all out in 57.4 overs.

From 175 for three, England lost Jonny Bairstow, on his 100th Test, Joe Root and Ben Stokes in eight deliveries, the first three of five wickets to fall for eight runs in a frenzied afternoon session.

The most recent first-class match at the HPCA Stadium saw all 36 wickets fall to seam but it was the spinners in clover on a turning pitch as Kuldeep Yadav collected five for 72 and Ravichandran Ashwin, also celebrating his 100th Test, polished off the lower order to finish with four for 51.

India rubbed salt into the wound through Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 57 off 58 balls while fellow opener Rohit Sharma went to stumps on 52 not out as the hosts closed on 135 for one – just 83 adrift of England.

Crawley had earlier shown plenty of grit after being tested by seamers and spinners alike and gradually gained fluency before Kuldeep found prodigious turn to prise him out. England seemed unable to pick the left-arm wrist-spinner’s variations as Ollie Pope, Bairstow and Stokes all fell to the googly.

Before play, a tearful Bairstow stood with his mother, sister and partner who held their infant child at an emotional cap presentation conducted by Root in the team huddle.

While Shoaib Bashir was fit to play, Ollie Robinson remained unwell which meant England assistants and ex-internationals Marcus Trescothick, 48, and Paul Collingwood, 47, were among fielding substitutes.

Stokes’ prediction this week of an “absolute belter” of a batting strip was not initially borne out as Crawley and Ben Duckett were given a working over by the returning Jasprit Bumrah, as well as Mohammed Siraj, who exploited extravagant seam movement in the cooler conditions of the Himalayan foothills.

Bumrah may have wondered how he ended his spell with 7-1-24-0 despite often challenging the outside edges of both openers. Kuldeep had no such misfortune as Duckett undid his good work by hoicking into the air on 27 and Shubman Gill’s over-the-shoulder diving catch ended a 64-run opening stand.

Pope was again skittish and misguidedly advanced to Kuldeep in the final over before lunch, deceived and stumped by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel by a long way for 11.

Crawley, though, had success off front and back foot as all 11 fours were through the offside while he danced down the wicket to Ashwin and dispatched him for six.

India failed to detect a thin edge when Crawley was on 61 after lunch while Jadeja shelled a caught-and-bowled chance on 78 but there was no third reprieve for the opener, who missed a big drive and was castled by a ripping Kuldeep delivery that landed outside off and crashed into leg stump.

Bairstow’s frenetic 29 off 18 balls included two sixes as he moved past 6,000 Test runs and a drop off Kuldeep, who then outfoxed the Yorkshireman with a wrong’un which grazed the edge on the way to Jurel.

Bairstow reviewed in vain, as did Root after he was beaten on the inside edge and struck on the front pad for 26 in Jadeja’s next over. When Stokes turned to DRS after playing back to Kuldeep, the on-field lbw decision was again upheld and England’s captain departed for a six-ball duck.

England lost their middle-order engine room in eight balls and used all their reviews, with Ashwin sweeping in to hoover up the tail after Ben Foakes’ 24 took the tourists past 200.

England’s bid for quick wickets to put pressure back on India was hampered by James Anderson and Mark Wood being unable to find anything resembling the assistance Bumrah and Siraj had in the morning.

Rohit settled into his work by using Wood’s express pace against him with a meaty pull for six off a bumper before overturning a caught-behind decision on 20 after Anderson thought he had strangled India’s captain down leg.

The in-form Jaiswal was watchful against England’s two seamers but peeled off three mighty sixes in four balls when Bashir came into the attack.

Jaiswal continued to attack but succumbed to a rush of blood and was stumped off Bashir but Rohit and Shubman Gill, unbeaten on 26, finished strongly.

England unravelled after Zak Crawley’s battling 79 as India left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed five wickets on the opening day of the fifth Test in Dharamsala.

From 175 for three, England lost three wickets in 13 balls and burned all three reviews as Jonny Bairstow, on his 100th Test, and Ben Stokes fell to Kuldeep, with Joe Root lbw to Ravindra Jadeja.

Crawley had earlier overcome a probing opening spell from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in helpful seaming conditions but was the first of six wickets to fall in a frenzied afternoon session, with five falling for just eight runs.

The tourists, seeking a consolation win after falling 3-1 down in the five-match series, were all out for 218 shortly after tea as Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four for 51 in his 100th Test.

Bairstow was overcome with emotion as he was presented with his 100th Test cap by fellow Yorkshireman Root in a team huddle where his mother, sister, partner and infant child were present.

Stokes said this week the pitch would be “absolutely belting” for batting so had little hesitation upon winning the toss, allowing Shoaib Bashir a little more time to convalesce after missing Wednesday’s final practice because of an upset stomach.

Ollie Robinson was back at the team hotel and with England down to 13 players, assistant coaches and ex-internationals Marcus Trescothick, 48, and Paul Collingwood, 47, were listed among the substitute fielders.

The cooler conditions in the foothills of the Himalayas initially aided India’s seamers and especially Bumrah, who repeatedly went past the outside edge. An 85mph delivery behaved like a leg-break to beat Crawley all ends up, underlining the challenge England’s openers faced off the pitch.

Crawley had success off back and front foot, with some eye-catching drives through the covers, while Duckett hunkered down as England’s opening pair dug deep to put on their fifth 50-stand of the series.

But Duckett undid his hard work in Kuldeep’s first over as a leading edge ballooned into the off side and was caught over his shoulder by a diving Shubman Gill.

Crawley moved to his fifty and hammered the initially ineffective Ashwin for six but, after England moved to three figures, Ollie Pope was stumped for 11 after misreading Kuldeep’s googly from the final ball before lunch.

Crawley should have been out to the second ball of the afternoon after glancing to short-leg but India elected not to review but there was no DRS needed when the England opener was beaten through the gate and castled by a sharply-turning delivery from Kuldeep.

Bairstow had a frenetic 18-ball innings that yielded 29 runs, with two sixes – the second taking him to 6,000 Test runs – and a drop on 21 by Kuldeep, who atoned by grazing the Yorkshireman’s edge after he was foxed by the wrong’un.

Bairstow reviewed in vain, as did Root after he was beaten on the inside edge and struck on the front pad for 26 in Jadeja’s next over. When Stokes turned to DRS after playing back to another Kuldeep googly, the on-field lbw decision was again upheld and England’s captain departed for a six-ball duck.

While Ben Foakes dug in to take England past 200, Ashwin hoovered up the lower order either side of tea on his landmark appearance.

England unravelled after Zak Crawley’s battling 79 as India left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed five wickets on the opening day of the fifth Test in Dharamsala.

From 175 for three, England lost three wickets in 13 balls and burned all three reviews as Jonny Bairstow, on his 100th Test, and Ben Stokes fell to Kuldeep, with Joe Root lbw to Ravindra Jadeja.

Crawley had earlier overcome a probing opening spell from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in helpful seaming conditions but was the first of six wickets to fall in a frenzied afternoon session, with five falling for just eight runs.

The tourists, seeking a consolation win after falling 3-1 down in the five-match series, went to tea on 194 for eight as Ravichandran Ashwin claimed a couple of lower-order wickets in his 100th Test.

Bairstow was overcome with emotion as he was presented with his 100th Test cap by fellow Yorkshireman Root in a team huddle where his mother, sister, partner and infant child were present.

Stokes said this week the pitch would be “absolutely belting” for batting so had little hesitation upon winning the toss, allowing Shoaib Bashir a little more time to convalesce after missing Wednesday’s final practice because of an upset stomach.

Ollie Robinson was back at the team hotel and with England down to 13 players, assistant coaches and ex-internationals Marcus Trescothick, 48, and Paul Collingwood, 47, were listed among the substitute fielders.

The cooler conditions in the foothills of the Himalayas initially aided India’s seamers and especially Bumrah, who repeatedly went past the outside edge. An 85mph delivery behaved like a leg-break to beat Crawley all ends up, underlining the challenge England’s openers faced off the pitch.

Crawley had success off back and front foot, with some eye-catching drives through the covers, while Duckett hunkered down as England’s opening pair dug deep to put on their fifth 50-stand of the series.

But Duckett undid his hard work in Kuldeep’s first over as a leading edge ballooned into the off side and was caught over his shoulder by a diving Shubman Gill.

Crawley moved to his fifty and hammered the initially ineffective Ashwin for six but, after England moved to three figures, Ollie Pope was stumped for 11 after misreading Kuldeep’s googly from the final ball before lunch.

Crawley should have been out to the second ball of the afternoon after glancing to short-leg but India elected not to review but there was no DRS needed when the England opener was beaten through the gate and castled by a sharply-turning delivery from Kuldeep.

Bairstow had a frenetic 18-ball innings that yielded 29 runs, with two sixes – the second taking him to 6,000 Test runs – and a drop on 21 by Kuldeep, who atoned by grazing the Yorkshireman’s edge after he was foxed by the wrong’un.

Bairstow reviewed in vain, as did Root after he was beaten on the inside edge and struck on the front pad for 26 in Jadeja’s next over. When Stokes turned to DRS after playing back to another Kuldeep googly, the on-field lbw decision was again upheld and England’s captain departed for a six-ball duck.

Tom Hartley was caught in the deep attempting to belt Ashwin for six while Mark Wood defended the spinner to slip before Ben Foakes (8no) and Shoaib Bashir (5no) saw out the rest of the session.

Zak Crawley came through a testing examination from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to make an unbeaten fifty for England in their fifth Test against India in Dharamsala.

England reached lunch on the opening day on 100 for two, with Crawley 61 not out, as the tourists bid for a consolation win, with India in an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Crawley and Ben Duckett put on 64 for the opening wicket despite Bumrah and Siraj exploiting helpful seam bowling conditions to regularly test their techniques – although both India bowlers somehow went wicketless in their spells.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav snared both Duckett for 27 and Ollie Pope for 11, the latter from the ball before the end of the session.

Ben Stokes has suspected the pitch would be “absolutely belting” for batting so had little hesitation at what to do upon winning the toss, allowing Shoaib Bashir a little more time at convalescence after missing Wednesday’s final practice because of an upset stomach.

Ollie Robinson was back at the team hotel and with England down to 13 players, assistant coaches and ex-internationals Marcus Trescothick, 48, and Paul Collingwood, 47, were listed among the substitute fielders.

The cooler conditions in the foothills of the Himalayas initially aided India’s seamers and especially Bumrah, who went past the outside edge on a number of occasions. An 85mph delivery behaved like a leg-break; fizzing off the pitch, beating Crawley all ends up and sailing over middle stump.

Crawley had success off back and front foot, with some eye-catching drives through covers, while Duckett hunkered down as England’s opening pair dug deep to put on their fifth 50-stand of the series.

Bumrah’s figures of 7-1-24-0 hardly justified an exceptional opening salvo while Siraj had an lbw shout when Crawley was on 29 turned down, which stayed with the on-field umpire despite brushing leg stump.

Ravichandran Ashwin was introduced in the 15th over on his 100th Test and was greeted with a paddle sweep off Duckett, who undid his hard work in Kuldeep’s first over as a leading edge ballooned into the offside and was caught over his shoulder by a diving Shubman Gill.

Crawley was gradually gaining in fluency and brought up his fifty with a drive off Kuldeep for his ninth four before advancing to the ineffective Ashwin and hammering the spinner for six.

But after England moved to three figures, Pope danced down the wicket to Kuldeep, whose googly beat the outside edge and allowed Dhruv Jurel to whip off the bails in the final act before lunch.

Talented batsman Adrian Hetmyer has been appointed Guyana’s captain for the upcoming Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 tournament in Antigua later this month.

Hetmyer, the nephew of Guyana and West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, will have prolific opener Emmanuel Lewis as his deputy in the 14-man squad.

SQUAD: Parmeshwar Ram, Justin Dowlin, Danvir Seegobin, Emmanuel Lewis, Adrian Hetmyer, Rovaldo Pereira, Richard Ramdehol, Khush Seegobin, Sohail Mohammed (WK), Shamar Apple, Brandon Henry, Gilbert Griffith, Jathniel Nurse and Arif Khan.

RESERVES: Trilok Nanan, Reyaz Latif, Bhomesh Lall, Feeaz Baksh, Kumulchan Ramnarace, Eron Benjamin and Mickle Sharma.

The squad was selected following the Inter-County 50-over competition, which Demerara won in early February.

The team is being sponsored by OES Guyana Inc., whose sponsorship will assist in preparing and outfitting the players for the regional tournament, set to bowl off on March 24.

England are confident Shoaib Bashir will be available for the fifth Test against India despite an upset stomach that has led to the tourists taking precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak.

Young off-spinner Bashir and seamer Ollie Robinson woke up on Wednesday morning feeling under the weather, so the pair missed the afternoon’s practice and have been separated from the rest of the team.

While Robinson has been replaced by Mark Wood as England try to salvage a consolation win in the final match in Dharamsala, Bashir was retained as one of two spinners alongside slow left-armer Tom Hartley.

Ben Stokes doubts a late change will be necessary, even if two umpires stopping at the team hotel are also unwell. Illness to on-field official Joel Wilson and TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena might lead to fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal being on standby for duties in the middle.

“I don’t think it’s anything to be too concerned about,” said the England captain, whose side trail 3-1 in the five-match series.

“The day before the game you don’t want to put anybody at risk so we’ve decided to keep them away from the team. It’s the sensible thing to do.

“When you’ve got so many people contained in the same space all the time you want to limit the chance of it spreading.

“It’s not a major issue, we just wanted to safeguard against anything spreading to someone else.”

Stokes has “not thought too far ahead” about contingencies, although England are down to two frontline spinners after electing against drafting in replacements when Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed returned home.

With the picturesque HPCA Stadium situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, conditions are cooler than those England have experienced on the tour thus far.

Even Stokes expected England would have to play three seamers and a lone spinner but an inspection of a wicket he described as an “absolute belter” for batting in the last day or two has prompted a rethink.

“Playing two seamers and still having Bash and Tom gives us a good mixture when you’re a little bit unsure of what it will do as the Test goes on,” said Stokes.

Stokes insisted the XI was not predicated on him bowling competitively for the first time since July. While Stokes had surgery on a longstanding left knee injury in November, his recovery went better than expected and he has hinted in recent weeks he could send down a few overs before the trip is over.

“If I do bowl any overs in this game it will again be a bonus, just like when we picked the team for the four games before this,” he said.

Stokes wanted Wood’s “pace and firepower to break the game open”, while the 41-year-old James Anderson will go in search of the two wickets he needs to become the first non-spinner to reach 700 Test dismissals.

“It’s phenomenal to think about, especially as a seam bowler,” said Stokes. “It’s been an amazing career to date and I can’t see him stopping.

“I have played with Jimmy for a long time and I’ve never seen him as physically fit as he is right now. Being 41, showing that hunger and desire to get better every single day is testament to his attitude and commitment.”

Stokes threw his backing behind Robinson, who is England’s only change from Ranchi after struggling with back issues that led to him being down on pace and sending down 13 wicketless overs last time out.

“Ollie did everything in his power to put in a match-winning performance last week and unfortunately not everything works out the way we want it to,” added Stokes.

“When you see someone putting in the hard work and showing that desire to not only be physically and mentally fit and something happens to them that is uncontrollable, you can’t really moan about it.”

Jonny Bairstow is set for his 100th Test appearance this week and ahead of training on Wednesday, the Yorkshireman plus Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Dan Lawrence and some members of the backroom team visited the Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeod Ganj – 10km north of Dharamsala.

England are confident Shoaib Bashir will be available for the fifth Test against India despite an upset stomach that has led to the tourists taking precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak.

Young off-spinner Bashir and seamer Ollie Robinson woke up on Wednesday morning feeling under the weather, so the pair missed the afternoon’s practice and have been separated from the rest of the team.

While Robinson has been replaced by Mark Wood as England try to salvage a consolation win in the final match in Dharamsala, Bashir was retained as one of two spinners alongside slow left-armer Tom Hartley.

Ben Stokes doubts a late change will be necessary, even if two umpires stopping at the team hotel are also unwell. Illness to on-field official Joel Wilson and TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena might lead to fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal being on standby for duties in the middle.

“I don’t think it’s anything to be too concerned about,” said the England captain, whose side trail 3-1 in the five-match series.

“The day before the game you don’t want to put anybody at risk so we’ve decided to keep them away from the team. It’s the sensible thing to do.

“When you’ve got so many people contained in the same space all the time you want to limit the chance of it spreading.

“It’s not a major issue, we just wanted to safeguard against anything spreading to someone else.”

Stokes has “not thought too far ahead” about contingencies, although England are down to two frontline spinners after electing against drafting in replacements when Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed returned home.

With the picturesque HPCA Stadium situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, conditions are cooler than those England have experienced on the tour thus far.

Even Stokes expected England would have to play three seamers and a lone spinner but an inspection of a wicket he described as an “absolute belter” for batting in the last day or two has prompted a rethink.

“Playing two seamers and still having Bash and Tom gives us a good mixture when you’re a little bit unsure of what it will do as the Test goes on,” said Stokes.

Stokes insisted the XI was not predicated on him bowling competitively for the first time since July. While Stokes had surgery on a longstanding left knee injury in November, his recovery went better than expected and he has hinted in recent weeks he could send down a few overs before the trip is over.

“If I do bowl any overs in this game it will again be a bonus, just like when we picked the team for the four games before this,” he said.

Stokes wanted Wood’s “pace and firepower to break the game open”, while the 41-year-old James Anderson will go in search of the two wickets he needs to become the first non-spinner to reach 700 Test dismissals.

“It’s phenomenal to think about, especially as a seam bowler,” said Stokes. “It’s been an amazing career to date and I can’t see him stopping.

“I have played with Jimmy for a long time and I’ve never seen him as physically fit as he is right now. Being 41, showing that hunger and desire to get better every single day is testament to his attitude and commitment.”

Stokes threw his backing behind Robinson, who is England’s only change from Ranchi after struggling with back issues that led to him being down on pace and sending down 13 wicketless overs last time out.

“Ollie did everything in his power to put in a match-winning performance last week and unfortunately not everything works out the way we want it to,” added Stokes.

“When you see someone putting in the hard work and showing that desire to not only be physically and mentally fit and something happens to them that is uncontrollable, you can’t really moan about it.”

Jonny Bairstow is set for his 100th Test appearance this week and ahead of training on Wednesday, the Yorkshireman plus Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Dan Lawrence and some members of the backroom team visited the Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeod Ganj – 10km north of Dharamsala.