Opinion Guwahati’s small step is a giant leap for cricket

The tapestry of Indian cricket will get richer as Guwahati becomes the 28th venue to host a Test match in the country. From cricket under the mighty Dhauladhar ranges and the shores of the Indian Ocean, to the coast of the Arabian Sea and now the Eastern Himalayas, the game has breached all geographical frontiers of a sprawling nation. The city might not brag about a rich lineage of cricketers, but it has hosted international games regularly since 1983, largely at the old Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The stadium in Barsapara could not have dreamt of a grander competition. In Kolkata, South Africa showed why they are the world’s best Test team with a clinical victory over India, who are desperate to square the series and arrest their decline at home. The stakes are multilayered, from personal redemptions to tactical vindications. Weave in the challenges of time, the unusual team and lunch breaks, and the occasional spotting of creepy crawlies of the venomous kind, the match has enough ingredients to fill the stands and make it a blockbuster. A balanced pitch, an absorbing game, and an Indian victory could settle the beginner’s nerves and make it a regular in India’s Test circuit. It could take inspiration from Dharamshala, which didn’t have a storied past, but promptly became a player and crowd favourite.

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Guwahati’s small step into Test cricket could be a giant leap for cricket in the North East, an untapped region for the sport, but one with incredible potential. Even though Riyan Parag is the lone familiar face from the region, it has a throbbing sports culture. The IPL and Women’s World Cup saw sold-out face-offs; football and badminton are feverishly followed. It has nurtured boxers like Shiv Thapa and Lovlina Borgohain, nourished athletes such as Hima Das and sprinter Bhogeshwar Baruah. Somewhere in the stands, over the next five days, a few Test dreams would blossom under the mild Guwahati Sun.