- England face India in final Test of series in Dharamsala
- Visitors were invited to meet the Dalai Lama on Wednesday.
- NASSER HUSSAIN: England are fun to watch, but it’s a BEAT if they lose 4-1
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Several English players met the Dalai Lama ahead of the fifth Test of the series against India in Dharamsala.
Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence, Gus Atkinson and Tom Hartley, along with batting coach Marcus Trescothick, were photographed with the Tibetan spiritual leader (and renowned cricket fan) at his residence in the suburb of McLeod Ganj on Wednesday.
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamsala, the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, since he fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese forces in 1959.
Dharamsala is also home to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, one of the most spectacular cricket grounds in the world.
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, the snow-capped peaks provide the stadium with a stunning backdrop.
(Left to right) Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence, Marcus Trescothick and Ollie Pope met the Dalai Lama (centre) on Wednesday.
England’s fifth Test against India takes place in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has resided in exile since 1959
However, the wisdom of hosting a test match in the region has been called into question after a forecast suggested sleet could fall on Thursday and temperatures could drop by as much as 1C.
The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium has hosted just one Test before, with India beating Australia by five wickets in 2017.
The two teams were due to meet at the same venue last year, but the test was moved to Indore two weeks’ notice due to concerns over the state of the pitch.
The outfield has been refurbished since the World Cup and looked in perfect condition on Tuesday, although less green than England had originally hoped.
The visitors have played at the HPCA Stadium before, beating Bangladesh by 137 runs in the second match of their dismal Cricket World Cup campaign last year.
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, the HPCA Stadium is one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world.
But England could face icy conditions, with the forecast calling for sleet and temperatures dropping by up to 1C for the opening day of the final test.
England have made one change from the team that lost the fourth Test, with Mark Wood replacing Ollie Robinson after the latter was run out in Ranchi.
Shoaib Bashir has been named in the team even though he, like Robinson, has succumbed to the illness that has affected his team and officials in Dharamsala.
The English duo missed training after suffering a stomach problem which also affected referees Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena.