India v New Zealand – Dharamsala, October 22
The HPCA stadium, nestled in the backdrop of snow-capped mountains, is a picturesque ground, at an altitude of 1,457m. Generally, the tracks in Dharamsala offer pace and bounce. True bounce helps the pacers to extract some life out of the surface, and also gives full value for shots.
In the IPL 2023, we saw high scores at the venue. Rajasthan Royals chased down 188 against Punjab Kings, while Delhi Capitals managed 213 against Punjab. Incidentally, three of the four ODIs played at that ground have been won by the team batting second. The last ODI played at this venue was between India and Sri Lanka in 2017, and there was a good covering of grass in place for that game. For a World Cup game, however, it is difficult to see the curator leaving live grass.
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If, as expected, Jasprit Bumrah returns to full fitness, then India would have enough firepower in their arsenal – Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami. Although, on a track offering bounce, India might miss having a tall, hit-the-deck pacer. The one likely option – Prasidh Krishna – is expected to miss out due to a back injury. Incidentally, the top four wicket-takers in ODIs at this venue are all pace bowlers.
In October, the average minimum temperature goes down to 4.5°C at night. There was renovation work done last year, and as a result, the ground now boasts a good drainage system.
Trivia: This would be the first time that Dharamsala is hosting a 50-over World Cup game.
India vs New Zealand head-to-head
| Matches | India Wins | New Zealand Wins | |
| Overall | 116 | 58 | 50 |
| In Dharamsala | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| In World Cups | 8 | 3 | 5 |
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