I woke up at 5AM sharp when the Himalayan air still had that knife-edge chill. Grabbed my pitch fork from the toolshed and drove straight to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium – nobody else around except some stray dogs fighting near the pavilion. My boots crunched on dewy grass as I walked toward the strip.
First Touch Test
Knelt down and pressed my palm flat against the pitch surface. Felt surprisingly dry underneath considering how heavy yesterday’s downpour was. Rubbed some soil between my fingers – not damp clay-like after rain, more like crumbly chocolate cake texture. Already knew this wasn’t gonna be one of those juicy green tops.
The Key Checks
- Grass cover: Barely any! Maybe 10-15% light green fuzz. Groundsman said they cut it twice yesterday evening.
- Cracks: Found three hairline fractures near good length spots but they look old and harmless.
- Compaction: Hammer test showed firm base layer – my spike marks barely showed when I scraped them.
Atmosphere & Light
By 7AM, sun blazed clear with just cotton-ball clouds over Dhauladhar range. Humidity stayed low around 40% – completely different from last week’s sticky soup weather. Outfield dried fast, ball would skid nicely. Shadows weren’t too long either.
The Final Verdict
Call me crazy but I reckon batsmen are licking their lips today. That surface is baked hard like biscuit tin. Cloudless sky means no swing help after first hour. Spinners might get slow turn later when cracks widen… but honestly? Looks like 320+ pitch to me. Saw Delhi Capitals support staff arrive and high-five each other when they saw the track. Bowling first feels like digging your own grave unless dew goes crazy tonight.
