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England players battled against their coaches and engaged in an interesting team bonding activity at the HPCA stadium in Dharamshala ahead of the fifth Test against India.
They squared off in a slip-cordon challenge, which involved taking catches in the slip region. A total of 20 chances were available for both the players and the coach sides. One point was reserved for a normal catch, while a great catch would fetch two points.
England Cricket's official X (formerly Twitter) handle gave fans a glimpse of it by sharing a video. In it, the players and coaches could be seen participating in the activity enthusiastically.
You can watch the video below:
The English team is currently trailing in the five-match series by a 1-3 margin. They began well with a come-from-behind win in the first Test in Hyderabad. The visiting side failed to build on that momentum in the following games.
They put pressure on India for a couple of sessions in the three games, but the Rohit Sharma-led side fought through them and peaked at the right time to bag wins in the Vizag, Rajkot, and Ranchi Tests to seal the series.
"I think we've definitely progressed as a team" - England captain Ben Stokes ahead of 5th Test vs India
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, March 6, England captain Ben Stokes reflected on the positives for his side and shed light on finishing the series on a positive note with a win. Stokes said:
"At 3-1, you think it's not been a success but I look at it with completely different angles to that and I think we've definitely progressed as a team even though we haven't got the results we wanted. You know, 3-2 sounds better than 3-1 or 4-1 and that's obviously what we're looking to do."
On the pitch and conditions in Dharamshala, he continued:
"Before we even got here, we were probably thinking it was going to be a three seamer one spinner attack but then when we saw the wicket and then saw it again today, I think going with two seamers and two spinners is probably the right call. We felt there would probably a bit more grass on the wicket just because of where we are but overall the wicket looks an absolute belter."
Do you think England will win the 5th Test and end the series at 3-2? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
