Wet weather caused by lingering monsoons led to algae growth on the outfield and damaged the natural grass. A new drainage system has been installed to rectify the problem and local officials believe it has improved and will not be an issue for the Test match. England are still likely to be wary of diving.
The England match will be only the second Test to be played in Dharamsala and it is odd this series is ending there. The tour has taken England off the beaten track and away from the usual Test match venues in India. Ranchi was hosting its first Test since 2019 and Vizag only its third. This was put down to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s ground rotation policy and awarding matches to venues that missed out on World Cup games last year.
However, Dharamsala hosted five World Cup fixtures and combined with the weather at this time of year it makes it a gamble to play there. It is fortunate the series is not locked at 2-2 because it would be a shame for the deciding match to be ruined by rain.
Other venues such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi are available and the Women’s Premier League is currently being played in Bangalore.
But politics plays a part in ground selection. Anurag Thakur is the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh and past president of the cricket association. He captained the state in one Ranji Trophy match to qualify as a selector under BCCI conditions. He later went on to be president of the governing body and is a leading figure in the ruling BJP Party, serving currently as Minister for Sport, Youth Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
The England squad have separated across India with some paying their own money to stay and play golf in Bangalore – a trip organised by Bairstow as he prepares for his 100th Test next week.
The four non-golfers – Mark Wood, Ben Stokes, Shoaib Bashir and Ben Foakes – have travelled with the non-golfing members of management to Chandigarh, a base provided for them by the BCCI. They join up together again in Dharamsala on Monday, beginning Test match preparations the following day.
If it is a green seaming pitch England may well consider Gus Atkinson for the first time, giving him a chance in a dead rubber. It depends on the fitness of James Anderson, who suffered a quad strain in Ranchi. Anderson is two wickets short of his 700th in Test cricket.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
