Headingley feels like it’s taking a nap on this Monday afternoon, four days before the commencement of a highly anticipated five-Test series. The stadium sleeps in the gentle Yorkshire light, which also highlights the surprisingly lack of natural flow to this historic facility, far from the guttural energy of recent Test matches played here. There isn’t a big scheme that unifies everything. Sitting shoulder to shoulder like distant cousins at a family gathering, they are only pieces from various eras. Everything is somewhat improvised, from the family stand to the Western Terrace.
On this patchwork quilt, consider the unique Carnegie Pavilion, that one unexpected outburst of ambition. Like a science faculty building that wandered over from one of the local universities in Leeds and chosen to stay, it protrudes in glass and green triangles. A pair of workers are inspecting a scaffolding from above, possibly in preparation for the close-ups on television.
“You here for the cricket? England-India, eh?” a guard outside St. Michael’s lane asks. It’s not dismissive, just matter-of-fact. They say Yorkshiremen know their cricket, after all. They don’t need noise to tell them a contest is coming.
However, there isn’t any sound. The popular new restaurant ‘Indian Feast’, which draws many of the city’s South Asian students, is a mile away from here. “Two tickets cost 265 pounds. when Virat Kohli is not present. This is not Lord’s, it’s still Headingley.
Since he sought fire in unfamiliar surroundings, nursed grudges, and faced crowds, the former India captain’s absence is still as noticeable as his presence. His abrupt retirement is reflected in the conversations about tickets, the softer promotional videos, and the billboards that no longer feature his scowl.
In the lead-up to a highly anticipated five-match series between two of cricket’s “Big Three,” it all creates an odd atmosphere. After all, this is the main event of the English summer and the only Test series that isn’t the Ashes but is still important and popular. Particularly for England cricket, which hosted Australia in an exciting series the previous year but had a very lackluster season last year, hosting Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
However, green is still everywhere in London. Three nights ago, South Africa’s defining moment still reverberates throughout the city’s sporting bars. Although it’s not for this series, the atmosphere is joyous. Even the English have indulged in schadenfreude, taking great pleasure in Australia’s loss, despite having no interest in that final. Asking whether Marnus Labuschagne will remain open in December is a silent excitement that captures the attention of this season.
because Bazball’s final test is the away Ashes later this year. In Australia, the three-year-old McCullum-Stokes project has been preparing for that day. Every choice, every fourth-inning charge, and every bowling or non-bowling by the England skipper have all been a part of a larger plot to defeat Australia in their own country. So much so that, despite its grandeur and illustriousness, this India series appears almost unimportant. Not the climax, but a pivotal phase.
It’s interesting to note that India is also looking ahead, albeit in a different manner. Naturally, what transpires in this series is important. A series victory here after eighteen years would be a statement, and a Test victory in England is still a reward. However, what transpires outside may be much more significant for India.
After missing the final for the first time, this squad is striving to establish its identity for the upcoming WTC cycle as it enters a new era. Once constructed on sturdy pillars, the batting unit is now a pencil doodle. Shubman Gill, a youthful skipper, has been promoted, and a new generation of cricket players is trying out for positions as well as spots. At four, who bats? Who is the anchor? After a Bumrah period, who bowls at first and second change? These are questions for the upcoming years, not just for this week in Leeds.
They have been in England longer than most people realize. A significant portion of the team played in the ‘A’ series prior to this tour. Then, away from the commotion and clamor that typically surround an Indian Test team overseas, came an intrasquad match in Beckenham.
The silence won’t last long, though. They will be traveling to Leeds on Tuesday after taking a day off, entering the spotlight. Headingley’s patchwork corners and subdued areas might regain their rhythm as the first ball approaches and eventually flies out of the bowler’s hand. The silence should have given way by Friday to the well-known rumble of a major Test series in progress.
