A strong gust of biting cold wind emanating from the snow-capped mountains of the Dhauladhar range, overlooking the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, has sent temperatures plummeting in this hilly terrain.
It’s early March but the cold and blustery conditions have prevailed much to the surprise of the locals. However, a drop to 5-6 degrees in the early evening and even lower at night has made English supporters feel at home.
Not many among the Barmy Army, England’s famed band of cricket supporters, have made it to Dharamsala yet, busy with completing their sight-seeing of various tourist attractions around the country before heading back to their destinations.
Jaipur’s historical monuments and forts have been their favourite along with the Taj Mahal, only a few hundred kilometres away from Dharamsala.
The fifth Test, starting on Thursday, may be a dead rubber but that will not stop the foreigners from driving down or taking a flight from New Delhi to get mystified by the imposing mountain range and its romanticism. “Be prepared for traffic snarls and soaring hotel tariffs,” locals warn.
The air has a cryptic and fickle charm to it as sunshine gives way to clouds engulfing the mountain peaks by dusk. The different hues of blue right through the day will make it more engrossing.
But the dipping temperatures are of concern to the home cricketers. Not many in this young Indian side are used to such 'English' conditions which Jonny Bairstow best described as “just like Leeds”. It could also have been the Rose Bowl in Southampton or Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
Hot tea and coffee replaced the energy drink players often sip in to stay hydrated during practice. Thermal wear was also out in abundance.
It was bright and sunny for most of Tuesday after a weekend of rain and thunderstorms but there was no let-up from the frosty conditions.
“Twenty-one years ago, I was here for two months and played U-19 cricket.... It’s pretty cold here. It will take a bit of time for the fingers to adjust. This is a little colder than what it usually is in March. That’s the beauty,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
That the foreign tourists are sure to outnumber their Indian counterparts during the Test is a given. The chance to meet the Dalai Lama, his home outside of McLeod Ganj in the upper reaches of the Kangra Valley since 1959, some 10 km from Dharamsala, has also captivated the Englishmen.
The resting place for pilgrims will enchant even the most jaded tourist.