Visitors ride on opener’s unbeaten ton after Bresnan and Finn demolish India’s top-order.

The Indian captain admited that Gautam Gambhir was going through a "lean patch" and Ravichandran Ashwin was trying to use "too many variations".

Ever since it first hosted Pakistan’s tour opener in 2005, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association has been frequently trying to host an international match in the snow-clad and majestic environs here.

India paid the price for some poor shot selection by their top order batsmen as England salvaged some pride by winning the final ODI and reduce the margin of defeat to 3-2.

For once, cricket might take a back seat. The snow-capped mountains, the tea gardens nearby and the spiritual pull of this picturesque capital of the Tibetan government in exile could well divert spectators from Sunday's one-day international between India and England.