Ashwin and Bairstow gear up for their 100th Tests in Dharamsala series finale

Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow will have contrasting feelings as they prepare for the fifth Test between India and England that begins in Dharamsala tomorrow.

The series finale is the 100th Test for both Ashwin and Bairstow. But while the Indian off-spinner enters the match on a high, having played a crucial role in winning the series in the fourth Test in Ranchi, the out-of-form England middle-order batsman has had questions raised about his place in the team.

It was Ashwin’s five-wicket haul in the second innings in Ranchi that restricted England to 145 after the visitors had taken a first-innings lead.

India secured victory in a tense chase of 192 on a pitch that got increasingly difficult, underlining the importance and timing of Ashwin’s 5-51.

However, the 37-year-old said he was not particularly excited about the milestone, adding his family was looking forward to it more.

“It does not mean anything to me,” Ashwin said in Dharamsala. “It means a lot to my wife and my mom. My daughters are more excited than I am. It’s just a number.”

The off-spinner passed the milestone of 500 wickets in the third match of the series that India have secured at 3-1 up.

He left that match midway to be with his ailing mother before returning to be part of India’s victory in Rajkot, acknowledging the strain his career had put on his loved ones.

“Playing Indian cricket for such a long time and being on the road, the kind of sacrifice the family makes is enormous.”

Bairstow, on the other hand, has had a forgettable tour, scoring just 170 runs in eight outings. The fifth Test could well turn out to be make-orbreak for Bairstow in red-ball cricket. The Yorkshire batsman said he will try his best to make his 100th Test a memorable one, even though the series has been lost.

“It means a hell of a lot,” said Bairstow. “Every young kid that sets out on a journey playing professional cricket wants to try and play 100 Tests.

“You look back to 2012 when I made my debut at Lord’s, if 12 years later you’d said I’d be playing 100 Test matches, I’d snap your hand off.”

Bairstow has yet to pass 40 in four Tests, and there has been speculation he might be overlooked in the summer with Harry Brook to come back into the side. As for whether he can cash in on his landmark appearance, he was optimistic.

“It would be nice,” said Bairstow. “Like in every game, you put your best foot forward.”

Veteran seamer James Anderson goes into the game just two short of the 700-wicket mark in Test cricket.