Alright mates, buckle up ’cause I did the legwork. Headed up to Dharamshala yesterday, proper trek it was. Sun was beating down hard, made me sweat buckets just walking from the car park. Needed to see that pitch with my own eyes before Saturday’s big game.
The Walk-On and First Feel
Got there early, just as the groundsmen finished their watering. Strolled right out onto the square, boots crunching on the path. First thing? Threw my kit bag down near the boundary and just stood there. Looked across the whole ground, tryin’ to get a feel for it. You gotta soak in the place, y’know?
Walked over to the center wicket strip. Crouched low, ran my hand over the surface. Surprise surprise, felt much drier than I expected. Top layer was like dusty old paper, came right off on my fingers. Ground felt firm underneath though, like packed dirt. Gave it a few taps – solid.
Looking Closer and Kicking Dirt
Got down on one knee, proper close this time. Really squinted at the colour:
- Bone Dry in Patches: Big sections looked parched, cracking a bit like dry mud.
- Patchy Green Bits: Tiny little flecks of green here and there, but nowhere near even. Like someone spilled some paint.
- Roller Marks: Saw the heavy lines where the roller had been, lookin’ baked in.
Couldn’t resist – gave one of the dusty patches a little kick with my trainer. Puff! Went up like smoke. Groundsman yelled at me from across the field! Whoops. But told me loads about how loose that top layer is.
Testing the Bounce (Secretly!)
Groundsman was busy fiddling with the hose reel, so I had a minute. Pulled an old ball outta my pocket – don’t tell! Gave it a gentle underarm chuck onto a good length spot. Thud. Didn’t really bounce high, just kinda died. Tried it again on a darker patch – better bounce, springier. But those dusty spots? Ball just skidded low. Big difference!
Tried rolling it fast along the deck too. On those drier parts? Gone like a rocket, barely slowed down. Grassier bit grabbed it a touch more. Spin later? Could be crazy.
What We’re Doing Saturday
Right, based on getting my hands dirty and nearly getting chucked out:
- Bowl First, No Brainer: Pitch is gonna crumble more as the sun bakes it all day. Our spinners will feast later.
- Pace Off Early: Fast bowlers need to forget bouncing ’em out early doors. Pitch too slow for that. Hit the deck hard, keep it wicket-to-wicket, let the variable bounce mess with batters’ heads.
- Spinners Are Kings Later: That loose top? Turning square by tea-time. Our leggie will be licking his lips. Need him operating long spells.
- Batting Blues: Openers gotta dig in deep early. Runs won’t come easy. Grind, survive the new ball on that tricky variable surface. Middle order needs cash-in time later when it might flatten a tiny bit… but expect low scores.
End of the day, it’s baked hard and dry as old toast. Bowlers will hate it early, batters will hate it always. Winning toss gives us the edge – bowl first, use that crumbling pitch later.
Right, need to tell the lads. Big prep session tomorrow! Got the info straight from the dirt.
