Much has been written about the experience of playing or watching a match at the 20,000-capacity Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here.
The scenic surroundings, dominated by the snow-capped mountains of the Dhauladhar ranges, make it a unique experience for any cricket lover. Nature, of course, has been very kind in many respects. But once the sky opens up, a washout is almost a certainty. But the pluses far outweigh the minuses.
The arrival of the Indian Premier League matches here last year ensured that this destination attracted more people for a week than in any other during the “season.” IPL has not only made a positive impact on the economy of Dharamshala and the more famous Mcleodganj but also brought into focus the near-perfect pitch, rarely seen in India.
The ‘square’ at the HPCA has six most bouncy pitches seen in the country. From Bob Woolmer to W. V. Raman to Dale Styen, and, more recently Adam Gilchrist, have all praised the playing surface. And the credit for it all goes to curator Sunil Chauhan and his team of 18 dedicated groundsmen.
Chauhan, 49, says with immense pride that he owes it to his team, the BCCI for periodically holding seminars for curators and the total backing of HPCA for being able to deliver such a sporting pitch. “Implementing what you learn from these seminars and the collective wisdom of the team holds the key,” says Chauhan. For the statistically minded, Chauhan reveals that “80 per cent of the wickets here are taken by medium pacers and the percent of leg-before decisions on this pitch is the lowest anywhere in the country.”
In fact, this week leg-spinner Piyush Chawla took four wickets each in two IPL games. For Chauhan, his passion for making pitches made him prefer being a curator than holding administrative HPCA posts. He is willing to toil with his team under the strong sun in region. And when the praise comes for the pitch, he is quick to say, “Before me, the credit should be given to those groundsmen, who work tirelessly in all seasons to make it so good.”
But what makes the pitch so sporty? “The grass used is very important. Like elsewhere in the region, like Mohali, we use Bermuda grass. The soil we bring from Ludhiana is tested at Palampur (near here) for its contents of clay, silt, coarse sand and fine sand. “Usually 40 per cent clay content is considered good to make a bouncy pitch. We have about 64 per cent. In comparison, the pitch at Perth has 75 per cent!” says Chauhan as he adds another perspective.
The ground witnesses about 40-45 days of active cricket in a season. “For the pitch to play true, maintaining the grass is a challenge. Here, periodic rains and seasonal snowfall take their toll. But then, the groundsmen are equal to the challenge,” assures Chauhan.
Woolmer, here as the coach of Pakistan had termed the ground as “one among the three best in the world.”
Chauhan is quick to recall the words of Raman spoken in 2009. “The pitch was just too good. I haven’t seen such a sporting pitch for a long time. It had everything for the batsmen and the bowlers. I wish we have such pitches all over in domestic cricket.”
Styen, here as part of the South Africa ‘A’ team was so impressed with the surface here that he presented his playing kit to Chauhan. “I remember his words. He said, after playing in Delhi, I never expected to get a pitch like this. If I get to bowl here for an hour, I’ll show the world what fast bowling is all about.” Unfortunately, rains spoilt Styen’s plans. Chauhan was also quick to point out that the playing area here is “not small” as believed by most experts and cricket watchers.
“It is bigger than what the international rules stipulate. From midwicket to midwicket, it is 140 yards and from one sightscreen to the other, it is 120 yards. The boundary is consistently 70 yards as per the minimum requirement of 65 yards. Perhaps, people get misled because the structure surrounding the ground is not as imposing as you have at most venues.”
