England, still aggrieved by a controversial concussion substitute ruling in the previous match, will be looking to finish on a high note.
Meanwhile, the hosts hope for a return to form from struggling skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson in what would otherwise be a dead rubber.
India’s 15-run victory in the fourth T20I in Pune on Friday sealed the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead but left England frustrated over the concussion replacement decision.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana replaced all-rounder Shivam Dube—who had suffered a blow to the head while batting—and made an immediate impact, taking 3/33 on debut to derail England’s chase.
The substitution, approved by ICC match referee Javagal Srinath, sparked controversy as England argued that India had a more like-for-like replacement in Ramandeep Singh available.
England captain Jos Buttler admitted he was puzzled when he walked out to bat, wondering, “Who’s Harshit on for?”
However, despite the debate, England had only themselves to blame for squandering a strong start on a batting-friendly pitch at the MCA Stadium.
Chasing 182, they were cruising at 65/1 in the seventh over before collapsing under pressure against Indian spinners Varun Chakravarthy (2/28) and Ravi Bishnoi (3/28). Chakravarthy’s tally in the series now stands at an impressive 12 wickets.
