Hot & humid: That’s how England cricketers would describe most Indian stadiums. But they will have no complaints about Dharamsala. With temperatures similar to London, England Cricket Team will play their “home Test” against India at the HPCA Stadium starting March 7. While England might have lost the series already, thousands of English fans will throng the stadium for the IND vs ENG 5th Test.
In the small 21,000-capacity stadium, as many as 5000 England fans are expected to be present in IND vs ENG 5th Test as per The Telegraph.
With that many England fans in the stadium, it will be most attended cricket match by England fans on the tour.
Rain/Snow in Dharamsala
Not so long ago, the entire HPCA Stadium was covered in snow before the Himacha Pradesh vs Madhya Pradesh Ranji Trophy match.
And there is a snow alert even this week with temperatures likely to go down to 4 degrees Celsius.
In London, the temperatures are hovering between 2 to 10 degrees Celsius.
England Cricket Team will arrive in Dharamsala on March 4 after a short break.
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Outfield remains a concern
With rain and snow in Dharamsala, the outfield continues to remain a concern for players. During World Cup 2023, the outfield drew sharp criticism from England players. England team management even barred players from diving to avoid injuries.
“The last thing you want is guys going off with knee injuries or something. It will be very difficult to hold someone back if they see a ball and they try to stop it – it’s a natural reaction to go for it,” Jonny Bairstow said ahead of England vs Afghanistan World Cup match.
However, since then, the outfield has undergone transformation with new ryegrass sowed. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association has also installed a new drainage system to prevent waterlogging and damaging the outfield.
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