3 things India need to do right to beat England in the 5th Test

The fifth and final Test between India and England has just gotten underway in Dharamsala, with the visitors winning the toss and electing to bat first.

There still isn't much information about the pitch, with the report being superseded by activities such as handing Ravichandran Ashwin his 100th Test cap. Nevertheless, it appears to be a surface without much pace and bounce, and it might not disintegrate quickly as the Test unfolds.

India have already won the series, so they aren't under a great deal of pressure, but they will know that they have work to do in the World Test Championship. Beating England by a convincing 4-1 scoreline will be at the forefront of their minds over the duration of their time in Dharamsala.

Here are three things India need to do right to beat England in the fifth Test.

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#3 Having lost the toss, India need to dig deep with the bat

Padikkal bats: 3rd Four-Day Tour Match: South Africa A v India A - Day 2

While India have lost what seems to be an important toss, they will take heart from the fact that they were able to get over the line in similar testing circumstances in the last Test in Ranchi. Now that they have to bat first, the hosts will need to get stuck in and use contrasting approaches if needed in the middle order.

Devdutt Padikkal has been handed a debut after Rajat Patidar pulled up injured on the morning of the Test. He and Ravindra Jadeja are grifters who like batting long hours, while Sarfaraz Khan has proven himself to be a player who can don many hats.

There's no go-to approach to succeed at a venue like Dharamsala, where the conditions throw up different challenges each day. For the first time in the series, India's batters might have to make consistent and drastic adaptations to come out on top.

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#2 Kuldeep Yadav must bowl extended spells

Kuldeep looks on: India v England - 4th Test Match: Day One

The standout spinner of the series so far, Kuldeep Yadav has retained his place in the XI even though Rohit Sharma briefly flirted with the idea of playing three fast bowlers. Now that he has been picked, the left-arm wrist-spinner needs to bowl long spells.

This was a mistake that Rohit made in the first innings of the Ranchi Test. He brought Kuldeep on as the fifth bowler and he went wicketless in the 12 overs he ended up bowling. That changed in the second essay, where the spinner's four-fer broke the back of the England middle order and turned the Test around.

Kuldeep is in excellent rhythm right now, and on a flat track, he might be India's best bet against the English batters. He needs to be given extended spells to work his magic, even if he goes for a few boundaries at the start.

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#1 Bringing R Ashwin on early won't harm India

Ashwin celebrates: India v England - 4th Test Match: Day Three

A pattern of the series so far, barring the second innings of the fourth Test, has been Rohit Sharma waiting to bring R Ashwin on. The veteran off-spinner is one of India's best new-ball weapons at home and turned the game on its head once he was given the fresh new cherry in the last game.

Ashwin's match-up against Ben Duckett is one that India must look to exploit. The new ball might not swing for long given that the pitch looks dry and slightly devoid of grass, and Rohit shouldn't waste any time in tossing the ball to the 37-year-old.

Playing his 100th Test, Ashwin will want to get involved soon. And we all know the effect an early wicket can have on his rhythm.