Match: India v England, 5th Test
Date: 16 December, Friday to 20 December, Tuesday
Time: 12pm SGT/9:30am IST/4am GMT
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
TV Channel: In Singapore, the live coverage will be on Star Cricket.
Live streaming: Hotstar
Overview
India, after having clinched an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, are eyeing a few records, including a personal benchmark as they travel to cyclone-hit Chennai for the fifth and final Test.
Virat Kohli's men have an opportunity to clinch India's biggest win against England in Tests as they are in line to better Mohammad Azharuddin-led team's record of a 3-0 win, that came during the 1992/93 tour.
The hosts can do a first by being unbeaten in 18 consecutive Tests if they avoid defeat in Chennai.
Skipper Kohli is just 135 runs short of Sunil Gavaskar's 774, which is the most by an Indian batsmen in a single Test series.
Apart from these milestones and cricket's ability to provide the much-needed relief to the disaster-hit city in the Southern coastal region of the country, there is nothing much to play for from Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
It is unlikely to see Kohli tinkering too much with his playing XI although the management might be tempted to hand Manish Pandey his Test debut. The in-form skipper has made it clear that his men will be playing with the same intensity they have had so far in the series in Chennai as well.
The track at Chennai is known for its bounce and assistance to spin, which the trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, who will be playing his second Test at home, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav will enjoy. However, the effect of rain and cyclone on the turf remains to be seen.
England though will look to get one back in what has been a horrid few months for them in the subcontinent. After conceding a Test in Bangladesh, Alastair Cook's men have been completely outplayed in India.
With James Anderson not being fit for the final Test, England will rope in fit-again Stuart Broad. Also, they will look to add an extra spinner in Liam Dawson, whom they sorely missed in Mumbai.
TV Schedule
Malaysia: Astro Cricket
India: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3
South Africa: Supersport 2
UK: Sky Sports 2
US: Willow TV
Middle East: OSN Sports Cricket
Team News
India
Possible XI: Kohli(c), Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Pandey, Parthiv (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Jayant, Umesh, Kumar
England
Possible XI: Cook (c), Jennings, Root, Ali, Stokes, Bairstow (wk), Buttler, Dawson, Rashid, Ball, Broad
