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Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
Lords –Melbourne-Eden –for any true
cricket lover, these are the three names of cricket’s ultimate
pilgrimages-Mecca of Cricket.
Eden Gardens situated in Kolkata is the oldest cricket ground in India and is also considered one of the finest in the world. The present Eden Gardens Cricket Club came in existence some time in the year 1864. It has been called the Lord's of Asia. The stadium is the one of the largest cricketing facilities in the world, along with the MCG.
Test Match
The first ever first-class match to be played here was in 1917-18, while the first Test match was against Douglas Jardine's MCC in January 1934. Since then the ground has hosted 35 Test matches more than any other venue in India. The last match to date is India vs Pakistan on 30th November 2007, where the match was a draw on a flat pitch but the son of the soil and icon Sourav Ganguly scored his maiden test century at Eden.
One day
In February 1987, the stadium hosted its first One day international match — against Pakistan. A total of 21 One day international have bee As a part of modernization of the stadium during the 1987 World Cup, where the final match was held, covered stands were built all around, with a modern Club House and pavilion. The Club House now houses the offices of the Cricket Association of Bengal. In November 1993, a five-nation tournament was played in India to celebrate the CAB Diamond Jubilee, where day-night One Day International matches were played at this ground, thanks to the installation of four gigantic floodlight towers.
On 13 November 2004 India and Pakistan played a One Day International to celebrate BCCI Platinum Jubilee.The latest One Day International(ODI) match held at this ground was on the 8th of February,2007 between India and Sri Lanka - the series-opener of the Hero Honda Cup. The match was ultimately called off due to rain.
Pitch
The pitch at Eden Gardens has traditionally been on the slower side and good for batting, assisting spin bowlers very early. Generally during test matches, wind from river Hoogly (The Ganges) helps swing bowlers in the first session of the day and sometimes in the last session. In one day it’s difficult to bat in the second innings owing to due and spinning track.
Eden - Fact sheet
- Established –1864
- Address: The Cricket Association of Bengal, DR BC Roy Club House, Eden Gardens, Kolkata - 700021
- Home team(s): Bengal, India, Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL)
- Capacity: 90,000(after renovation, earlier the capacity was 120,000)
- End names: High Court End, Club House End
- Present Curator: Kalyan Mitra
- Floodlights: Yes
- Harbhajan Singh took a hat trick against the Australians in 2000/01 at the ground becoming the first Indian to do so in Test cricket
- VVS Laxman's historic 281 against the Australians in 2000/01 is the highest score at the ground.
The Eden Crowd
Every cricketer of every cricket-playing nation wants to play and perform in front of the most passionate and vocal Eden-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.
Down the history lane
The history of Indian Cricket is irrevocably bound up with that of Kolkata Cricket Club, which did the pioneering work in cricket not only in Kolkata but also in the whole of the eastern region of India. The present Eden Gardens Cricket Club came in existence some time in the year 1864. In course of time Kolkata Cricket Club established with its headquarters at the Eden Gardens. The pavilion was built in 1871 and cricket was played for a long period in Sylvan surroundings.
As a part of modernization of the stadium during the 1987 World Cup, where the final match was held, covered stands were built all around, with a modern Club House and pavilion. The Club House now houses the offices of Cricket Association of Bengal. It can now also legitimately boast of having one of the largest accommodation (nearly 100,000) in the world for viewing the game.
Summary of Results in Test
|
Country |
Played |
Won |
Lost |
Drawn |
|
Australia |
7 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
England |
9 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
|
India |
32 |
6 |
8 |
18 |
|
New Zealand |
2 |
- |
- |
2 |
|
Pakistan |
5 |
1 |
- |
4 |
|
South Africa |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
West Indies |
8 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
TOTAL |
32 |
14 |
14 |
18 |
Highest Innings Totals: 657 for 7decl. by India v Australia in
2000-01
v India: 559 for 8 decl.by England in 1963-64
Lowest Innings Totals: 90 by India v West Indies in 1983-84
v India : 163 by England in 1972-73 & in 1992-93
Individual Hundreds : 50
for India: 22 (Highest-281 by VVS Laxman v Australia in 2000-01)
v India : 28 (Highest-256 by Rohan Kanhai for West Indies in
1958-59)
Best Innings Bowling : 8-64 by Lance Klusener for South Africa
in 1996-97
for India: 8-86 by Javagal Srinath v Pakistan in 1998-99
Best Match Bowling: 13-132 by Javagal Srinath v Pakistan in
1998-99
v India: 11-105 by Richie Benaud in 1956-57
Highest Partnership for each wicket:
for India:
|
Wkt |
Runs |
Batsmen |
for |
Season |
|
|
1st |
236 |
AC Hudson |
G Kirsten |
SAf |
1996-97 |
|
2nd |
212 |
G Kirsten |
DJ Cullinan |
SAf |
1996-97 |
|
3rd |
206 |
GN Yallop |
KJ Hughes |
Aus |
1979-80 |
|
4th |
217 |
RB Kanhai |
BF Butcher |
WI |
1958-59 |
|
5th |
169 |
AL Logie |
CL Hooper |
WI |
1987-88 |
|
6th |
195 |
S Chanderpaul |
MN Samuels |
WI |
2002-03 |
|
7th |
163 |
B Sutcliffe |
BR Taylor |
NZ |
1964-65 |
|
8th |
83 |
S Shivnarine |
N Phillip |
WI |
1978-79 |
|
9th |
161 |
CH Lloyd |
AME Roberts |
WI |
1983-84 |
|
10th |
43 |
SR Waugh |
GD McGrath |
Aus |
2000-01 |
v India:
|
Wkt |
Runs |
Batsmen |
for |
Season |
|
|
1st |
191 |
VVS Laxman |
NS Sidhu |
Aus |
1997-98 |
|
2nd |
344* |
SM Gavaskar |
DB Vengsarkar |
WI |
1978-79 |
|
3rd |
144 |
Pankaj Roy |
VL Manjrekar |
NZ |
1955-56 |
|
4th |
123 |
SR Tendulkar |
M Azharuddin |
Eng |
1992-93 |
|
5th |
376 |
VVS Laxman |
R Dravid |
Aus |
2000-01 |
|
6th |
143 |
M Azharuddin |
Kapil Dev |
Pak |
1986-87 |
|
7th |
101 |
M Azharuddin |
RMH Binny |
Pak |
1986-87 |
|
8th |
161 |
A Kumble |
M Azharuddin |
SAf |
1996-97 |
|
9th |
58 |
Kapil Dev |
S Venkataraghavan |
WI |
1978-79 |
|
10th |
51 |
RG Nadkarni |
BS Chandrasekhar |
Eng |
1963-64 |
