Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma arrived in style for the Dharamsala Test against England starting Thursday as he landed at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in a helicopter. The rest of the team had already arrived on Sunday, but Rohit joined them on Tuesday and he also attended an event with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in Bilaspur and played cricket with his fans. The fifth Test match between India and England is a dead rubber as the Rohit-led side has already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead over the visitors thanks to a brilliant victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Meanwhile, Test cricket will see two players featuring in their 100th game together for only the fourth time when India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England batter Jonny Bairstow take the field.
The first such occasion was when former England captain Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart reached the landmark against the West Indies at Old Trafford back in 2000.
The second instance involved three players as South Africa's Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Stephen Fleming played their 100th Test in the South Africa-New Zealand game in Centurion in 2006.
The third was Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke in the England-Australia Ashes contest in Perth in 2013.
Ashwin and Bairstow will be representing their respective teams in the fifth and final Test here from Thursday.
It will also mark only the second occasion when two players from the opposing teams will be playing their 100th Test in the same game.
Just a day after the India-England game begins, New Zealand captain Tim Southee and his predecessor Kane Williamson will play their 100th Test together during the second match against Australia.
Ashwin, who recently became only the second Indian after Anil Kumble to cross 500 wickets in the game's longest format, made his Test debut in 2011 and has enjoyed more highs than lows during a 13-year journey.
In this hill town, the 34-year-old Bairstow will become the 17th Englishman to get a 100th Test cap, having made his debut in 2012.
(With PTI inputs)