India vs England: Why Ben Stokes' team have more to prove in the foothills of the Himalayas

What a place for a decider.

This narrow stadium, with its brightly colored seats and stands, feels like a cricket Disneyland until you take into account the amazing backdrop. The snow-capped mountains are awe-inspiring and provide spectacular views for the thousands of England fans who have made the pilgrimage to the Himalayan foothills.

Dharamsala is a bucket-list destination, but it's unlikely to be on England's bucket list. The venue may be perfect for a final, but England have been denied that opportunity for the second successive major series.

Ben Stokes' team have too much work to do in the Ashes and are wasting their chances in India. This does nothing to detract from the achievements of this emerging Indian team, but England should at least go into this final on an even footing.

Stokes became the first captain to lose a series. Since the end of the summer, some of his men, including the captain himself, have spent more time in India than at home, so he must rouse his men for one final push.

There's a big difference between 3-2 and 4-1, and if it's the latter then it's going to be a pretty bad winter for England overall.

The tourists will be hoping that Shoaib Bashir will overcome the illness that prevented him from training on Wednesday to take his place in the eleven on Thursday.

This could expose the decision not to bring in a new spinner after the departures of Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed, or in the worst-case scenario, the squad would be reduced to 14 if the disease spreads. There is a possibility.

I hope that the behind-the-scenes staff, including the chefs, did not participate in Wednesday's fielding practice, but rather than as an emergency measure, it was simply for fun and entertainment after the tour.

For off-spinner Bashir and left-hander Tom Hartley, Dharamsala is the last chance to show they are England's most inspired selection since Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick were pulled from domestic cricket.

There has been much talk of how he will break into the county team at the start of the summer, but he may also be looking to put pressure on the injured Leach as England's number one.

India are not left with another chance to pace bowler Ollie Robinson. His future in England now appears to depend on Sussex's early-season form and the confidence of the selectors.

The fourth Test at Ranch was not the first time Robinson's back had let him down, so that is a concern, but some of the criticism he received was unwarranted.

Robinson had long been a bowler in need of overs, so England must have known there was some risk in selecting him for the Test, who had not bowled competitively since July.

There is certainly some responsibility on the player's part, but Robinson had no intention of turning down a place on the wing. It can't be helped that the tour doesn't have a coach specializing in fast bowling.

More broadly, it calls into question England's relaxed approach to preparation. A modest build-up in Abu Dhabi looked fine when England won the first Test, but for key figures like Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum, warm-up games are not appealing.

But that doesn't work for everyone, and Robinson is a good example. More overs might not have helped the important catch he dropped, but this big fast bowler shouldn't have been in the short midwicket high-traffic area for the off-spinner.

Questions have been raised about his girlfriend's long-term stay on tour, but these amount to a double standard in an era where players' mental health is rightly a priority.

With Robinson out, England have no doubt that their current first-choice pace bowlers are 41-year-old James Anderson and 34-year-old Mark Wood, who has a patchy but improving fitness record. Ta.

How the fast bowling department evolves over the next two years is perhaps the most interesting area for the England side. With fewer pacemen selected on tour, they haven't missed the bowling of Stuart Broad yet, but they have missed the mutt of him.

This could be Anderson's last overseas Test, but given his fitness, it is also inconceivable that he will play in the Ashes in 2025 at the age of 43.

With Robinson's position in doubt and Wood constantly walking a tightrope, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts and Josh Tan will have to step up quickly if he follows Broad into retirement soon. It may not be possible. Chris Woakes may still have a role.

Of all England players, this is Jonny Bairstow's biggest week to reach 100 Test caps. Bairstow is in many ways one of the greatest survivors of English cricket, and even though he is the media's most punchy sparring partner, there is genuine love for him from all areas of the game.

Bairstow's versatility can be both a curse and a blessing. Of England's other 16 centurions, only bowlers and all-rounders Stokes, Anderson, Broad and Sir Ian Botham have lower batting averages than the Yorkshireman.

His ability to play a variety of roles within the batting order, with or without keeper gloves, has kept him around longer than expected. Then again, Bairstow's overall record could have been even stronger if he had been given consistent work. What's indisputable is that his stellar 2022, which included a 600, sparked a buzzball revolution.

Even with landmark tests, Bairstow realized he needed to score. With Harry Brook likely to return at some stage, Bairstow could once again be competing with Ben Foakes for a place in the side.

Foakes' glove handling is unparalleled and his batting is consistent, but he may be too slow for a No. 7, who is often called upon to provide guidance from the tail. England may decide it is time to move on from both Bairstow and Foulkes, waiting for (another) Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith and James Lew.

If England is on the brink of evolution, India is already evolving. This series may be looked back on as the birth of a new powerful batting lineup. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Juler all stepped up in the absence of established names.

While the batting has a fresh feel, the bowling still has some Old Firm flavours. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will also play their 100th Test this week. Ashwin is a spin bowling scientist who acts like a man trying to free himself from his handcuffs. With 507 wickets, he is one of the greats of the game.

Stokes spoke of the “progress” the team has made on this tour. In a sense, he's right. England have shocked on their last two tours, but this one is far from that. India will examine the mind, body and soul of the team. England has not collapsed like many countries before it.

4-1 was probably the expected result before the ball was even thrown, but now it feels like a disappointment. Talk of Stokes' progress is more solidified at 3-2.

This may be dead rubber in Dharamsala, but England still has mountains to conquer in the Himalayas.