da supremo： A return to more English conditions at Guwahati might help England, but typically English rain is threatening to halt proceedings comments Anand Vasu
da bet nacional： Anand Vasu in Guwahati08-Apr-2006
Even in pouring rain, interest for Sunday’s game is high © Getty Images
When you touch down at the Lokepriyo Gopinath Bordoloiairport, a modest building fronts an airport in hillyGuwahati in India’s north-east. Grey Indian airforceaircraft easily outnumber their brighter commercialcounterparts. The runway seems to apologise forencroaching on the carpet of green that is interruptedonly by the odd outcrop of rock and the Brahmaputra,not quite in spate, but flowing with pride andconfidence, occasionally swelling at the banks like awoman carrying a few extra pounds who neverthelessknows she is a thing of beauty. England, wilting inthe heat, desperately need a change of fortunes, andwhether they will get that is doubtful. At leastthey will get a change of scenery.The fierce heat and oppressive humidity at Kochi thatsmothered England like a wet blanket have given way toMancunian noon-time temperatures in the earlytwenties, overcast skies and a generous if erraticsprinkling of rain and even hail at Guwahati. Thedrive from the airport, which is more than 20kilometres out of the city, to the hotel should pleaseEngland. The wide open spaces of rolling green are notquite the Yorkshire moors, but will soothe the eyes ofweary travellers spending far too much time in airportlounges.That said, there is much to complain about if you like- the roads are small and when you try to cross theroad you’re just as likely to be mowed down by a cyclerickshaw as a bus; the communication facilities arefar from adequate; the quality of hotels make you longfor your bed back home – but you’d be missing thepoint if you let all that get to you.You’d be missing the non-stop references to therhinoceros, that majestic and tragically endangeredbeast that has come to represent the region thanks tothe Kaziranga National Park. Here everything fromroad-side restaurants to cement is rhino-branded.You’d be losing out on the story of the struggle ofthe North East where secessionists have been locked ina long, bloody battle with the authorities. You wouldnot recognise the smile that cricket puts on faces infar-flung outposts like this.Assam may not have produced a cricketer of note, butjudging by the enthusiastic turnout of fans on the daybefore the game, even in pouring rain, interest forthe game is high. The ICC has nakedly embraced taking the game to new regions,urging everyone from Eskimos to Chinamen to pick upbat and ball when there are places in a cricket-madcountry like India that barely get a big game, anddon’t get the encouragement they need to develop theinfrastructure required to develop the game.The cricket ground itself is a pretty picture. You’dthink the man with the rose in his lapel, JawaharlalNehru, was the biggest patron of sport in this country- this is the third game on the trot that will beplayed in a stadium named after him. The stands arequite low, and would struggle to hold even 25000people, the outfield is lush green, the pavilionunderstated and the surrounds leafy. Cast your eye tothe horizon in any direction and you will see thehills, and the nearest one has a temple and televisiontower jostling for attention.Sadly, though, the hills don’t make for pretty viewingat the moment. The rain and bad weather have all beencoming from there. The afternoon’s downpour,accompanied by thunder, lightning and finally hail,made the Assam Cricket Association despair. They’reworking hard to get this game going, and despite thefalling rain had not given up hope, though it isincreasingly appearing likely that Guwahati might haveto wait another two years or so for the privilege ofhosting international cricket.
