Dharamsala: A high pitch

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.

There were several ties, including Indian Premier League matches that were allotted to this hilly town, but the dream of hosting Team India had remained unfulfilled till now. Sunday would change all that.

Even though the five-match series was decided in Mohali, with India taking an unassailable 3-1 lead, Dharamsala is gripped in cricket fever. And Sunday’s final game of the series is expected to draw a sellout crowd attendance of 19,000.

“This is such proud moment for the whole of Himachal state. I want everyone to come and enjoy a completely different experience of watching a game of cricket here in a stadium that is surrounded by snow-capped Dhauladhar ranges,” said HPCA president Anurag Thakur, sounding emotional on the eve of the historic day.

The lush green outfield and a pacy wicket with a history of providing good bounce will certainly tempt both teams to exploit the early morning chilly conditions and go in for chase later on in the day. Though powerful lights have been installed here for several years now, the January weather has forced the BCCI to opt for a day game.

“This track has always produced good scores. But don’t forget that the bounce and pace here have always been tempting for pacers to go that extra mile. No one will have any complaints about this wicket. You will witness a great game of cricket here on Sunday,” said HPCA curator Sunil Chauhan.

Nevertheless, the open nature of the ground, together with the bracing morning breeze, will certainly be welcomed by seamers like Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who have been troubling English batsmen throughout this ODI series.

Team India had opted for a light practice after their arrival on Friday. England took a complete day off to embark on a local sightseeing trip, including McLeodganj, which is the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Though the players missed a chance to meet the Dalai Lama, who has gone into a “spiritual retreat”, they returned to their hotel only in the evening after a day well spent.

But both teams had extended net sessions on the eve of this final ODI here on Saturday.

Contrary to English media reports about the possible bad weather, all players were surprised to find bright sunny days ever since their arrival here on Thursday. Situated at an altitude of 1317 metres above sea level, Dharamsala will become the 43rd Indian ODI venue, and will have distinction of being one of the highest altitude grounds in the world.

“All players have been clicking photographs of the snow-capped mountains and were actually surprised that the weather is so great in this valley. Most of the English players were sporting T-shirts, including skipper Alastair Cook, ever since they have arrived here,” an HPCA senior official touring with the team told DNA.

But Saturday was a serious practice day for both teams. MS Dhoni, who sustained a thumb injury during the course of Mohali game, seems to have recovered well and had a long batting session in the nets without displaying any signs of pain.

Rohit Sharma is again looking forward to open the innings alongside Gautam Gambhir. The success that Sharma tasted in Mohali after prolonged bad patches must have given him a sense of relief and stability in the side. Sharma would certainly like the bounce of this wicket and his ability to play horizontal strokes could give the English seamers a headache.

However, both teams need to be wary of the sudden decline in temperatures towards the afternoon hours sometimes.

The series has already been decided. But Dhoni, who had a complete batting session at the nets, will certainly look to test players on the bench in this game.

The chances of Cheteshwar Pujara getting to make his ODI debut is bright after he was denied permission by team management to be relieved for the Ranji Trophy final, which got underway on Saturday against Mumbai. The only other person who has not played so far in the current series is leggie Amit Mishra. However, his inclusion is anybody’s guess.

For the visitors, the cooler conditions here could well be a last chance to end the tour on a high note. But with the way their pacers failed to make the maximum out of a pitch in almost similar cold conditions while bowling under lights in Mohali, it would certainly require extra effort from them if they want a different result here.

The match was originally scheduled to start at 9 am, but will now commence half-an-hour later after the final inspection by match referee on Saturday.