Top five cricket grounds in India

Usually, a cricket ground (also called a cricket field) is a large, circular or oval-shaped grassy ground on which the game is played, although the principal action is centred on a 22-yard strip of brown land – mostly interspersed with bits of grass – which is right in the middle of the ground.

Similar to baseball, cricket is another major sport where the dimensions of the ground are not fixed, but the diameter usually varies from 450-500 feet. On most grounds, a rope (also called the boundary or fence) demarcates the perimeter of the field, keeping the spectators away from the playing area. In modern times, the boundary is reinforced by advertising hoardings placed horizontally along the entire ground a few feet from the ropes.

Other features of a cricket ground include the now-famous thirty yard circle, which divides the playing field into two parts – an in-field and an outfield. These are typically used to enforce fielding restrictions, and are more prominently displayed during limited-overs cricket.

India has a plethora of cricket grounds in place, most of which have seen international action as well as the flashier Indian Premier League games. Here is a list of the top five grounds that have witnessed great deeds in the sport over the years:

This picture taken on November 6, 2010 s

5. Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur

At Number 5 in this list of Top cricket grounds in India it VCA (Vidharba Cricket Association) stadium. Built in the Jamtha area of the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra in 2008, the VCA Stadium replaced the old VCA cricket ground as the main stadium in the city. It has a capacity of 45,000 and has played host to both Test and ODI matches.

In terms of facilities, it is India’s best stadium – complete with world-class amenities for practice and training.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni holds the record for the highest individual ODI score on this ground when he made 124 against Australia in the 2009-10 season. South Africa’s Hashim Amla holds the same position in Tests – he made an unbeaten 253 against India in 2010-11.

The stadium also featured four matches of the 2011 World Cup – with the game between England and the Netherlands proving to be a humdinger thanks to a magnificent century from Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate.

4th place – Top Cricket Grounds in India

4. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

At Number 4 in this list of Top cricket grounds in India is Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Formerly known as the Visaka International Cricket Stadium, it is the principal stadium in the city of Hyderabad, and the home of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). It extends across 16 acres and is located in Uppal, an eastern suburb of the city.

The two ends of the stadium are the Pavilion End and the North End – the latter was renamed the VVS Laxman End after the Indian middle-order batsman retired from international cricket. The ground is also home to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, an IPL franchise formerly known as the Deccan Chargers.

With a capacity of 55,000, the stadium hosted its first international fixture in the form of an ODI between India and South Africa in November 2005. It also saw the maestro Sachin Tendulkar play a gallant innings of 175 in a 3-run defeat to the visiting Australians. He also completed his 45th ODI hundred with that knock, received his 60th ODI Man of the Match award and crossed the 17,000 run mark in ODIs in the same game.

The ground has favoured both spin and pace, and India has recorded two innings defeats of Australia at the venue. Rookie batsman Cheteshwar Pujara scored his maiden Test hundred here, and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed 12 wickets in the same match. Truly a remarkable stadium!

3rd – Top Cricket Grounds in India

3. Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Known informally as the SMS stadium, this cricketing venue was built during the reign of Sawai Raja Man Singh II. It seats 30,000 people and is located at one corner of the Rambagh Circle in Jaipur.

The stadium has hosted one Test match between India and Pakistan in 1987, witnessed by then-Pakistan President General Zia-ul-Haq as part of his Cricket for Peace initiative. The two subcontinent rivals also played the first ODI at this stadium in 1983, with India emerging the victor.

The ground has also witnessed Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s blitzkrieg innings of 183 not out against the Sri Lankans in 2005-06. In the same season, a world-class cricket academy was built at a cost of INR 7 crore.

2. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

With a capacity of 45,000, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was built as the result of a dispute between the Cricket Club of India (that owns the Brabourne Stadium) and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for matches. With the support of Shri S K Wankhede, a politician and the MCA secretary, this new stadium was erected near the famous Churchgate station – just in time for the final Test between India and the West Indies in 1975.

Swing bowlers have revelled on this ground – especially in the earlier part of the day. Interestingly, red soil has been used to prepare the pitch, thus ensuring consistent bounce. Spinners have also had a fair amount of success – the 2004 Test between India and Australia ended within three days due to the crumbling wicket, resulting in an Indian win. With batsmen also joining the party, this pitch has proven to be a true cricketing track.

Famous cricketing deeds at the ground include Ravi Shastri’s six sixes off Tilak Raj in the Ranji Trophy, the 2011 World Cup final which India won by six wickets, Vinod Kambli’s 224 against England in the 1992-93 Test and many more. It has been designated as the home ground for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

1. Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Widely acknowledged as the most iconic of all the stadia in India, the Eden Gardens is the largest cricket ground in the country and the third-largest in the world in terms of capacity. It is the home of both the Bengal cricket team and the 2012 IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders.

Established in 1864, the stadium has undergone many renovations in order to achieve its current seating capacity of 66,349 – slightly less than its estimated 100,000. It is known for its large and very vocal crowds – as Sunil Gavaskar found to his cost, and never played there again.

The 1996 World Cup semi-final also witnessed crowd disturbances, forcing match referee Clive Lloyd to award the game to Sri Lanka by default, and a similar scene occurred when Shoaib Akhtar apparently blocked Sachin Tendulkar from reaching the other end during a Test match, resulting in his run-out.

However, the ground has also witnessed one of the greatest turnarounds in Test history – when VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid forged an unbroken 376-run alliance, batting all day to deny Australia their record 17th win, eventually winning the series 2-1 in 2001. Harbhajan Singh, who took 32 wickets in that series, considers it to be his happiest hunting ground, while Kapil Dev took an ODI hat-trick against the Sri Lankans in 1991.

Australia secured their first World Cup win on this ground, and both Laxman and Azharuddin have scored five centuries each here – just another glimpse of the iconic stature of this stadium.