THERE’S AN almost tangible difference in the air when you move across the Chakki river from Punjab into Himachal Pradesh — it’s crisper, colder, fresher. The toll tax people and the cops stop the cab but it’s all rather peacefully done, no one’s in any hurry. The characteristic aggression and noise of big cities is missing as you begin a meandering climb towards Dharamsala and even when the threatening clouds finally give way, it’s a gentle drizzle.
Suddenly, there’s a sharp turn and you are confronted with a breathtaking view, the freshly snow-capped peaks of the Dhauladar Range (the “white mountains”) keep you company as you move towards the unlikely venue for the beginning of a major tour.
In cricket, there’s arguably nothing bigger than an India-Pakistan series for people in the Indian subcontinent. To find something on a similar scale in terms of passions involved, the hype surrounding every small utterance or incident associated with the series and the accompanying pressures is next to impossible. So it all seems a little unreal when you make your elaborate way to a small Himachali town — known more for the Dalai Lama than anything else — to witness the take-off of what is billed as the series of the year. At least in the media stakes if not the on-field competition.
From the time you get off the overnight train from Delhi at Pathankot or Chakki Bank, it takes about two-and-a-half hours to get to this rather quixotic (and improbable) setting for cricket.
{{/usCountry}}From the time you get off the overnight train from Delhi at Pathankot or Chakki Bank, it takes about two-and-a-half hours to get to this rather quixotic (and improbable) setting for cricket.
{{/usCountry}}While the stadium, set among the mountains, is both beautiful and extremely well equipped — they have an excellent drainage system among other things — whether having a match in the middle of well, nowhere, makes sense and whether it can evoke the same passionate response from local people that a game involving Pakistan should remains to be seen.
As far as Tuesday was concerned, it was all quiet on the Pakistan front once their chartered flight landed. The light rain ensured that they cancelled their scheduled practice, something that vice-captain Younis Khan indicated they were not too happy about — this being the reason they took an early flight — but he added it couldn’t be helped. Younis incidentally, was one of the players who ventured out of their heavily guarded (46 cops) hotel, the Asia Health Resorts, located (again) in nowhere land really.
The hotel owner, VK Garg, says they’ve named the area, which has a panoramic view of the Dhauladar on one side and the quaintly named Pong Dam on the other, Strawberry Hills. It is somewhere between Mcleodganj and Satobari village, 12 kms of hilly drive from here.
Anyway, Younis, a bubbly Shahid Afridi and Arshad Khan went for a jog that quickly became a walk in the hills, followed by a Qualis filled with sleepy commandos and one fit-looking Himachali policeman, after a quick poll amongst the cops as to who looked best to keep pace. By the way, both players and cops were outrun by excited Tibetan kids, obviously much better used to the altitude and region than anyone else.
“We do this (running in the hills) all the time. Can we ask Afridi for an autograph?” said a smiling Tsetup, a class XII student of the Tibetan School, across the Sacred Dal Lake.
Before this, Danish Kaneria disappeared somewhere — some say shopping, others say to “visit the close by famous temple” — and Mohd Sami and Kamran Akmal returned from somewhere, protected by white Kulu shawls. Skipper Inzamam spent the day in bed, under thick quilts and looking decidedly under-the-weather, though manager Salim Altaf said it was “only a headache”.
Altaf, the only one who the mediapersons hanging around the hotel could chat with, said while no one had a problem with the altitude (about 1700m), there was a “slight logistical concern” about their journey to Mohali for the first Test.
If Pakistan leave for there on 6th morning as scheduled, they will get only one day for practice before the first Test, beginning 8th.