Monday in Dharamsala was a corker, bright sunshine reflecting off the snow-capped Himalayan peaks, the air crisp, and the streets of McLeod Ganj bustling not just with locals, Buddhist monks and tourists seeking spiritual enlightenment, but also the early arrivals for the fifth Test between India and England, which gets under way on Thursday.
England’s cricketers were among them, too, albeit not by design. While they are a team that likes to kick back between fixtures – their first break on tour was spent in Abu Dhabi, the second split between golf in Bengaluru and a resort hotel in Chandigarh – heavy rain over the weekend had left the facilities at HPCA Stadium unfit for outdoor practice.
