Nowhere else in the cricketing world can one find a firstclass stadium with snow-capped mountains as the backdrop. When Kings XI Punjab take the field against Chennai Super Kings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, the mighty Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas may remind them of the enormity of the task at hand.
Punjab's defeat to Delhi Daredevils has left them with 14 points from 14 games, and with five teams vying for the remaining two spots in the play-offs, a defeat to MS Dhoni's men will bring the curtains down on their campaign. That Punjab have got so far in the tournament after four defeats in their first six games bears testament to David Hussey's astute leadership and smart batting while standing in for the injured Adam Gilchrist, and the contributions they have got from young Indian players such as Mandeep Singh and Parvinder Awana.
But the resurgence might come to nought if they fail to come up with the goods at a 'home' ground where they will be playing their first match of the season.
On the other hand, Chennai seem to be doing what they do best every year - hitting peak form just before the play-offs. In their first 12 matches, the Super Kings had lost six, won five and had one game abandoned due to rain. But they have since gone on a three-game winning streak, and a fourth will seal a lastfour spot for them since they will get to 19 points.
However, a defeat will put them in a precarious position, since they would have finished all their league games and three other teams - Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab - would have the opportunity to leapfrog MS Dhoni them.
Chennai do have a Hussey of their own to counter the Punjab skipper, and it is no coincidence that older brother Mike's return to the top of the order has been the turning point for the men in yellow. Mike seems to have got the best out of the misfiring Murali Vijay and the last two games have been won largely thanks to this opening combination, though the middle-order has chipped in with some nerveless performances too.
Dharamsala has traditionally been a batting paradise with a little bit of assistance for the fast bowlers, and with this being an afternoon game, taking first strike would seem to be the best way to put the opponents under pressure. However, the pitch is still an unknown quantity, and the general trend this year has been one of low scores and greater balance between bat and ball.
The key, therefore, for both teams could be to cut down on the flair and get into a knuckle-down-and-win-at-all-costs mode which, given the circumstances, could make for some excellent viewing for the sell-out crowd.
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