Those doubts had little to do with the quality of the venue or the preparedness of the local association. That talk emanated from loose reports that the stadium was buried under a pile of snow, that the weather was extremely inclement, and that the harsh winter would necessitate a shift in venue.
The English team, and its entourage of worried journalists, breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday (January 24) as they were greeted by bright sunshine and gentle winds when they reached Dharamsala from Mohali late afternoon. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, which was a sparkling, radiant blue, and there was no hint that the ground – looking an absolute picture- was anything but ready even as the majestic snow-capped Himalayas formed a stunning backdrop.
The Indian and English teams, which flew into the Kangra Airport, missed the splendid sights the six-hour drive from Mohali offered, through verdant fields and dainty towns on winding but well-maintained roads. The HPCA Stadium has hosted a fair few IPL games as well as Pakistan’s warm-up game on their tour of India in 2005, but January 27 will mark its debut as a full-fledged international venue and will cement its standing as one of the most picturesque grounds in the cricket world. Even as late as Wednesday night, there were unfounded rumours that the teams would play the final game too in Mohali. “I have no idea how talk of the game being shifted out of Dharamsala gained ground,” said a member of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. “As you can see, there is no reason why the game needs to be moved out of Dharamsala.” By 6.00 pm, the winter chill had set in, which is only to be expected in these regions. Over the next three days leading up to the match, it has been forecast that the temperatures will range from a high of between six and eight degrees Celsius, and a low of -2, though it has been predicted that on match day, there might be occasional cloudy spells. The final ODI of a series India have already clinched 3-1 is, thankfully, a day game starting at 9.00 am, so the teams and the fans would have retreated indoors long before the winter chill comes swooping in.
