India-England Test: Cricket fever grips Himalayan beauty

Deepankar Sharda

Dharamsala, March 6

The English fans clearly outnumber Indian supporters on the roads of the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, as local cafés and bars are buzzing with cricket talk ahead of the last Test match between India and England — starting tomorrow at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium.

The entire town is in the grip of cricket fever — a rare scene, but good for Test cricket. “No matter if it’s a cup of hot coffee or a chilled beer, the sport (cricket) would always get a mention. The weather is amazing, so is the game… Only a sinner won’t enjoy it,” said 40-year-old Oliver Junior, who is here with a group of friends.

The scene outside the stadium was equally electrifying. The cynosure of all eyes were not the players, but the English fans who turned out here on rented two-wheelers and cars.

“I am here for the first time, and it seems amazing. I don’t know how to ride a two-wheeler, but everyone here is commuting on this only. I have to try my hand,” said Geordia Taylor, who is here with his wife. Interestingly, the Taylor couple has been following cricket for the last 15 years and they travel across the world to enjoy it. They were part of the famous Barmy Army. “It’s for the love of cricket. Even my wife started enjoying it. I make sure to travel at least thrice year to watch matches across stadiums in the world,” said Taylor.

However, not all were lucky to have a smooth access like the Taylor couple. Johnson along with his three friends had to wait in a queue for two hours only to find out that the tickets were sold out. “This is bizarre, they (management) should have informed those standing in long queues. There’s only one counter and a small window through which I can barely talk,” said Johnson.

He added, “The Indian fans won’t see such mismanagement in England. Why can’t they (HPCA) have three or four ticket booths and give updates about the status of the tickets.” Nevertheless, Johnson heaved a sigh of relief when this correspondent told him about the availability of tickets on an online platform. However, Johnson and Co. went into a deep huddle as a single ticket was costing Rs 7,500!

2,000-km travel

Not only the fans have reached Dharamsala, but small-time vendors have also come here to make a quick buck by selling replicas of cricket teams’ T-shirts and caps. “I never expected such a chilly weather here. The mornings are fine, but evenings are unbearable. I have been into this business for five years now, and it’s getting harder with each passing day to earn a profit. We do business outside the stadium in the morning, but shift our base to McLeodganj in the evening,” said Prabhu from Mumbai.

TICKET RUSH

• Only one ticket-selling counter was there for fans, which led to a huge rush.
• Six England players —Gus Atkinson, Jonathan Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Tom Hartley, Dan Lawernce and Ollie Pope —visited the Dalai Lama.
• After the Ranchi Test, the Barmy Army has reached here in a good number —a boon for the local hotel industry.