Headingley Cricket Ground (Pic courtesy – Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com) TimesofIndia.com in Leeds: “It’s hot,” was the first reaction immediately after stepping out of the Leeds Coach Station, just a twenty minute drive from the Headingley Cricket Ground. There has been a lot of chatter around the dry English summer and it surely felt dry, even though the temperature hovered around the mid 20s. The sun was out in its full glory and the occasional spell of breeze was as soothing as it could get on a Wednesday afternoon where plenty were strolling around, some were baking under the sun with their choice of beverage in the outdoor cafes and most preferred to stay indoors.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“It will get very very hot. Please keep the windows open at all times. There is a heat warning issued and the weekend ahead will only get worse,” says Joanne, who lives walking distance from the ground and rents out a small room in her house during the busy season.“The cricket is all good, I should be there for the game on Monday, if it lasts that long (laughs) because there are no tickets for weekends. My son managed to get his for the opening day and I can promise that this road – leading to the ground – will be packed before toss. And you guys wouldn’t mind this weather at all. Good for you especially without Virat Kohli (chuckles),” adds Joanne.
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The next three days forecast is close to 30 and for residents here, it’s a state of panic. They have started taking precautions already to keep their houses cool when the mercury rises in the next 72 hours. Even on the opening day, the forecast reads 27 but the cloud cover prediction could make it very interesting.In interactions with TimesofIndia.com, former England cricketers Graham Gooch and Nick Knight had emphasised how this has been a very unusually dry English summer and it’s likely to remain the same during the India-England Test series. The dry buildup means pitches will not be the usual strips which have been rolled out for the Indian cricket team in the past.While England have named lone spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Playing XI, it remains to be seen whether India beefs up that department by playing both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in the opening game. Not many would have seen that coming – a discussion on playing two spinners in Headingley – but the dryness makes it a very relevant talking point two days before the coin goes up for a toss.
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Cricket, however, is only being discussed at Headingley and in the bylanes – which have some iconic scorecards (Ben Stokes 135, Ian Botham 149) painted on the walls – leading to the venue. For a cab driver like Awais, who is from Pakistan, it was just another drop the ground he likes to stay away from.“Agar ek pura pariwar dekhne jayega to utne ka bada TV aa jayega ghar mai (if a family goes to watch from the ground it will cost similar to getting a big TV at home),” says Awais.He has seen a game at the iconic venue and assures Team India will not feel the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in this marquee series.“Dukh ki baat hai wo dono nahi rahenge par aapke ladke acche hai, team bhi acchi hai (it’s sad those two won’t be there but you have good boys and a good team),” assures Awais.When he finishes the ride and hands over the cash change, the first thing Awais does is rolls up the windows and increases the intensity of the blower. Because, it surely is hot in Leeds!
