MA Chidambaram Stadium

 

Chepauk,
Chennai, India
Also or formerly known as Chepauk; Madras Cricket Club Ground
Named after The President of BCCI, and also the President of the TNCA
Capacity 50000
Floodlights Since the 1996 World Cup
End names Anna Pavilion End, V Pattabhiraman Gate End
Home team Tamil Nadu
Current local time 19:58, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile

The spiritual home of cricket in the state since the start of the Presidency matches in 1916, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, noted for its sporting pitches. Better known as Chepauk, taken from the area of its existence, the first Test played here was in 1933-34 between Douglas Jardine's England and CK Nayudu's India. For long, Test matches at Chepauk were synonymous with the Pongal (Harvest) festival. There have been records galore at this venue. History was made with the first ever Ranji Trophy match played at the venue when AG Ram Singh, with 11 wickets, bowled Madras to victory over Mysore within a day. India recorded their first Test win at the ground in 1951-52 when they defeated England by an innings and eight runs. Sunil Gavaskar notched up his record breaking 30th Test hundred on this ground in 1983-84. The India-Australia encounter in 1986-87 ended in a tie - only the second in the game's long history. The next season, leg spinner Narendra Hirwani claimed the best match analysis by a player on Test debut, finishing with 16 for 136.
But more than the records, what stands out at Chepauk is the atmosphere and the crowd, reputed to be the most knowledgeable and appreciative in the country. This was proved when those present gave a standing ovation to Saeed Anwar after his record breaking 194 against India in the Independence Cup match in 1997 and again when Pakistan won the Test match in 1999. A truly overwhelmed Pakistani team even made a lap of honour in appreciation of the spectators' sporting behaviour.

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M.Chinnaswamy Stadium

 

Bengaluru, India
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karnataka State Cricket Association, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bangalore - 560001
Also or formerly known as Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium
Established 1969
Capacity 40,000
Floodlights Yes
End names Pavilion End, BEML End
Home team Karnataka
Curator Narayan Raju
Current local time 19:58, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
Originally named the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, the ground was eventually renamed after M Chinnaswamy, who was the president of the Indian board from 1977 until 1980, and was involved in the administration of Karnataka cricket for close to four decades. The foundation for the construction of the stadium was laid in May 1969 and building began in 1970.
The stadium was given Test status in 1974-75 and hosted West Indies in the opening match, although the stadium was only half-built. That match was also the debut of two West Indian greats, Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards. The stadium also played host to Sunil Gavaskar's swansong innings - a masterclass on a minefield - when India went down to Pakistan in the series decider in 1987.
The stadium was renovated before the two sides met each other again in another titanic encounter; the World Cup quarter-final in 1996, when floodlights were installed for the first time. Since then, Bangalore has proved to be a lucky venue for visiting teams with South Africa, Australia and Pakistan winning crucial games. South Africa's historic series win in 2000, Michael Clarke's sensational hundred on debut, Inzamam's century in his 100th Test and Anil Kumble's 400th Test wicket have been the highlights over the last decade.

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Feroz Shah Kotla

 

Delhi, India
Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA), Feroz Shah Kotla ground, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110002 (Phone: 011 2331 9323)
Also or formerly known as Willingdon Pavilion
Established 1883
End names Stadium End, Pavilion End
Home team Delhi
Current local time 20:05, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
Established in 1883, the Feroz Shah Kotla - run by the politicised Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) - has witnessed a number of feats, most notably Anil Kumble's 10 in an innings against Pakistan.
The Kotla staged its first Test in the 1948-49 season when the mighty West Indies under John Goddard took on India for a five Test series and the ground has produced some really good performances. In the 1952 Test against Pakistan, Hemu Adhikari and Ghulam Ahmed were involved in a record tenth wicket stand of 109 runs - a record that still stands. In 1965, S Venkataraghavan, in his debut series, demolished the New Zealand line up with figures of 8 for 72 and 4 for 80. In 1969-70, Bedi and Prasanna combined to spin India to a famous seven wicket win over Australia, the duo picking 18 wickets between themselves.
England's John Lever had a memorable debut at the Kotla in 1976, when he notched up a half-century and had match figures of 10 for 70. Five years later, Geoff Boycott surpassed Gary Sobers' world record Test aggregate. In 1983-84, Sunil Gavaskar scored his 29th century to equal Don Bradman's long standing record for the highest number of hundreds in Test cricket. In 2005-06, at the same ground, Sachin Tendulkar broke Gavaskar's record of most centuries with his 35th Test century.
However, the Kotla's future as an international venue hangs in the balance when, in December 2009, an ODI between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch.

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Eden Gardens

Kolkata, India
The Cricket Association of Bengal, DR BC Roy Club House, Eden Gardens, Kolkata - 700021
Established 1864
Capacity 90,000
Floodlights Yes
End names High Court End, Pavilion End
Home team Bengal
Curator Probir Mukherjee
Current local time 20:04, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
Along with the MCG, the Eden Gardens remains cricket's answer to the Coliseum. It first hosted a Test back in the days of India's cricketing infancy, with Douglas Jardine's team easing to victory inside four days in 1934. Since then, it has become something of a place of pilgrimage for most international cricketers, a chance to strut their stuff in front of the most passionate and vocal crowd in the game. At times though, the fervour has spilled into excess, with riots disrupting matches against the West Indies (1966-67) and Australia (1969-70), and a shameful exhibition of boorishness causing the World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka (1996) to be called off with the visitors on the threshold of victory.
There have been other, better, times too when the verve and energy of the crowd has made it a twelfth man of sorts and stirred India's finest to great feats, none more so than that hallowed day in March 2001 when VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid set the stage for the greatest come-from-behind victory of modern times, against an Australian team poised for an unprecedented 17th straight Test win. Despite packing in 90,000 on red-letter days, it hasn't been a lucky charm for India until recently, when the spin wiles of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble inspired famous victories against Australia and Pakistan.
The ground underwent renovation ahead of the 2011 World Cup, during which it was slated to host four group-stage matches, including one between India and England on February 27. However, on January 27, the ICC announced the India v England game would be shifted out of Eden Gardens as they felt the ground would not be ready in time.

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Barabati Stadium

 

Cuttack, India
Floodlights Yes
End names Mahal River End, Pavilion End
Home teams India, Orissa
Current local time 19:56, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack hosted only the third one-day international in this country, in January 1982, when India put it across England by five wickets to lift the series 2-1. In the first Test match here five seasons later, the Sri Lankans were greeted with an underprepared wicket affording vastly unpredictable bounce. Dilip Vengsarkar, then at the most dizzying heights of his career, made his highest Test score of 166, his fourth century in eight Tests, when no other batsman on either side crossed 60. The Lankans were rolled over twice as India seized an innings and 67-run victory. Kapil Dev bagged his 300th Test victim, bowling Rumesh Ratnayake with a ball that failed to sit up.
The only other Test match here, against New Zealand in 1995-96, was badly affected by rain, affording less than 180 overs of playing time. Narendra Hirwani, on a comeback trail, took 6 for 59 in New Zealand's only innings, the best bowling figures here. India have won five out of seven ODI's at this venue which has also witnessed two games not involving them. Visiting sides have in the past sometimes expressed their qualms about having to travel from Bhubaneshwar, an hour's drive away, because of the lack of an airport and of quality accomodation in Cuttack.

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Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium

 

Dharamsala, India
End names River End, College End
Home team Himachal Pradesh
Current local time 19:56, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
Stunning. Breathtaking. Awesome. The adjectives roll out as one enters the most beautiful ground in India. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association [HPCA] Stadium in Dharamsala, with a capacity of 23,000, is as picturesque as the Adelaide Oval and Newlands, if not more. A small and glittering green plate, the ground has a snow-capped background in the form of the Dauladhar hill-range. The mountains add to the serenity of the venue, which lies at an altitude of 1317 metres above sea level. Another impressive feature is its openness and small-sized stands, which allow for winds to sweep across, giving fast bowlers assistance in the air. The venue is the first in India to use winter rye grass scattered around the outfield, which prevents the grass from dying when temperatures fall below 10 degrees.
Getting to Dharamsala, however, is difficult. The terrain is hilly and the nearest airport is in Chandigarh, 250 kilometres away by road. The harsh winters, during which it rains and snows, are also deterrents to organizing international matches here. The only international to date is the tour game between the Indian Board President's XI and Pakistan in 2005. But with the expansion of the IPL in 2010, Dharamsala has the potential to become one of the most popular venues.

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Punjab Cricket Association Stadium

 

Mohali,
Chandigarh, India
Punjab Cricket Association, PCA Cricket Stadium, Sector - 63, SAS Nagar, Mohali - 160059 (Phone: 0172 - 2232300/1/2)
Established 1993
Floodlights Yes
End names Pavilion End, City End
Home team Punjab
Curator Daljit Singh
Current local time 19:51, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
What was a swamp with deep ravines in 1992 was turned into India's best stadium within a span of two years. The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, is a truly world-class venue with excellent practice facilities, spectator-friendly outlook and sufficient provisions for the media. The pitch at Mohali had the reputation of being the livliest in the country - India were even rolled over for 83 on the first morning against New Zealand in 1999 - but it changed complexion drastically over the next few years and turned into a dead pitch producing high-scoring draws. There have also been some cracking one-dayers played on this ground, the most thrilling being the World Cup semi-final in 1996 when Australia squeezed past West Indies in a nail-biting finish.

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Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium

 

Hyderabad, Deccan
Also or formerly known as Visaka International Cricket Stadium Ground
Established 2004
Named after Rajiv Gandhi
Floodlights Six towers, completed April 7, 2008
End names Pavilion End, North End
Home team Hyderabad (India)
Current local time 19:55, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
The need for a big ground and an exclusive cricket facility necessitated the building of a cricket ground in Uppal, an eastern suburb of Hyderabad. Moreover the earlier venue - the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium - was owned by the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, giving the Hyderabad Cricket Association limited control over the ground. Stretched over 16 acres of land, the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium did away Hyderabad's reputation of being a high-scoring venue. The ground has had its share of controversy. The first came with the name, which the state government changed to honour a former Indian prime minister. The HCA had to pay out the contractors - Visaka Industries - after whom the stadium was originally named. Then, ten days before what would have been its first first-class match - between the Australians and Mumbai - the ground was deemed unfit to host a big match. But the stadium is now ready, a state-of-the-art facility, complete with floodlights installed in April 2008 in time for hosting the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League.

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Sawai Mansingh Stadium

 

Jaipur, India
Floodlights Yes
Home team Rajasthan
Current local time 20:01, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur has hosted a solitary Test match, in February 1987, when Pakistan President Gen Zia-ul-Haq hopped across the border to watch the second day's play as part of his "Cricket for Peace" initiative. The game sputtered to a draw after the third day's play was abandoned following heavy rain and a controversy over the alleged deposition of sawdust on the wicket which Pakistan objected to. Jaipur had made its international debut with an india-Pakistan ODI in 1983-84 and it also hosted World Cup matches in 1987 and 1996. But it seemed destined to be a one-Test wonder and a cricketing backwater until Lalith Modi took charge of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. There followed a major renovation programme which transformed a dull concrete bowl and also led to the establishment of an academy next to the ground. It was not coincidence that, with Modi at the helm, the ground hosted a number of matches in the 2006-07 Champions Trophy.

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Wankhede Stadium

 

Mumbai, India
Mumbai Cricket Association, Wankhede Stadium, D Road, Churchgate, Mumbai - 400020 (Phone: 022 2281 1795/7876/9910)


Established 1974
Capacity 45,000
Floodlights Yes
End names Garware Pavilion End, Tata End
Home team Mumbai
Curator Sudhir Naik
Current local time 19:46, Sat Mar 24, 2012 (UTC +0530)


Profile
Mumbai, the cricket capital of India, has seen Test matches played at three different grounds. The Bombay Gymkhana ground hosted the first ever Test in India, in 1933-34 against England. After WW-II, the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium was used for 17 Tests. However, due to a dispute between the CCI and the Bombay Cricket Association, the BCA built the 45000-capacity Wankhede Stadium, less than a mile away from the Brabourne Stadium.
It staged its first Test in the 1974-75 season when the Windies toured India. Clive Lloyd scored an unbeaten 242 and in Pataudi's last hurrah, India lost by 201 runs. The Test also featured a crowd disturbance after a fan who rushed onto the ground to greet Lloyd was treated roughly by the police. India's first victory here was posted against the New Zealand two seasons later. The stadium has been witness to great innings like Gavaskar's 205 against the Windies and Kallicharan's 187 in the same game in the 1978-79 series and all round heroics like Ian Botham's century and thirteen wickets in the Jubilee Test in 1980. which England won by ten wickets. The highest score by an Indian at Wankhede remains Vinod Kambli's 224 against England in 1992-93 in only his third Test. Incidentally Ravi Shastri's six sixes in an over off Baroda's Tilak Raj en route to the fastest double-hundred in first-class cricket was on this ground in 1984-85.
The seaside situation of the Wankhede stadium means that the swing bowlers get a fair amount of assistance during the early part of each day. The pitch has traditionally been full of runs, but it does help the spinners during the last couple of days, and in the last Test played on the ground, against Australia in 2005, the ball spun viciously from early on and this, coupled with low bounce, helped India win in under three days even though almost a whole day was lost to rain. The Wankhede stadium has stands named after famous Mumbai cricketers like Vijay Merchant, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.

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