The BCCI has used around 18 venues for Test matches in the 21st century, but the House is divided on restricting the purest format to fewer centers in the country.
“We’ve been discussing this for a long time, and in my opinion, we should have five Test centres, period. I mean, I agree with the state associations and the rotation and giving games and all that stuff, that’s fine. There is T20 and ODI cricket, but also Test cricket, teams coming to India need to know, ‘We are going to play at these five centres, these are the pitches we are going to expect, these are the kind of people who will come to watch. , Crowd,” Virat Kohli Said in 2019.
There wasn’t much of a stir then, but there is now, especially when two days of the second Test between India and Bangladesh were canceled without a single ball being bowled. This was when there were no cricket-disrupting rains and Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium was found to lack adequate drainage facilities.
As both teams stayed in their hotels and twiddled their thumbs instead of testing the opposition on the field, the debate grew over whether it made more sense for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to have a dedicated venue for Test matches.
Rohit SharmaThe Test captain disagreed with Kohli on the subject. “If you want to promote Test cricket, it should be played in every part of the country and not be limited to just a few big centres. I am very happy that Test cricket is being played in places like Dharamsala and Indore. I am just happy that we have been able to take cricket to all parts of the country,” Rohit had said during the home Test series versus Australia last year.
“All the Test centers we have played at since COVID-19 have had good crowds. Surprisingly, Delhi had a great crowd. We are not used to seeing huge crowds at big centres. So, Test cricket played everywhere Must go.” He further explained.
Ravichandran Ashwin When asked whether it is more logical to have a limited number of test sites. The off-spinner chose to dodge the question saying it was ‘above my pay grade’.
“If you have only a few test centres, will it help any player? It definitely does.” Ashwin Despite a narrow contest, India defeated Bangladesh 2-0 on Tuesday.
“Because when we go to Australia, they play India only at five Test centres. They don’t play us in Canberra. They don’t play us at any other venue where they won’t be very familiar with the conditions. England too. Do the same.”
The best player of the series said, “They have select Test centers and they play there. Some of them are only white-ball centres. Can we do it here (in India)? It is above my pay grade. I can’t comment on it.” Said.
However, Ashwin argued that cricket benefits from having different venues for the traditional format.
“First of all, what benefit do Indian cricketers get from having so many Test centres? You have cricketers who come from every corner of this country and play Test cricket.
“It’s a huge country and it has created that kind of readiness and that kind of passion among cricketers to be able to come and play for this country. It’s a big positive thing.
He said, “The second of this is that there are certain essential elements to make a Test match successful. Like, the weather and the type of drainage that we need to be able to invest in. These are things that go without thinking. -There are issues to be understood.”
Where does India play its test matches?
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Since the turn of the century, India have played 112 Test matches at home – winning 71, losing 13 and drawing 28. Matches have been played on 18 different grounds across the country, with Eden Gardens in Kolkata hosting the most number of matches with 12. Tests, resulting in 8 wins, 3 draws and one loss.
This is followed by Mohali’s IS Bindra Stadium, Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium (11 Tests) and Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium (10 Tests). Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi and Wankhede Stadium Mumbai will host nine Test matches each.
Brabourne Stadium, on the other hand, has hosted only one game against Sri Lanka in 2009, with two matches each at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
In the first decade of the century, Test matches were spread across 11 grounds in the country. Competitions were held in Mohali, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Kanpur, Brabourne (Mumbai) and Hyderabad.
Mohali, Bengaluru and Nagpur remained at the forefront and were handed seven matches by the board. Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad were right behind with six points each.
In less than a decade and a half, the number of venues has grown to 16. Growing from the above mentioned 11, six more grounds have emerged in Visakhapatnam, Indore, Ranchi, Rajkot, Dharamshala and Pune. Brabourne, meanwhile, has not hosted a match since 2009.
Only Hyderabad has seen progress in the two decades and has four more Tests in 2011–2024 compared to 2000–2010. Barring Nagpur and Mohali, which have hosted three less matches, others are either in the same position or have seen a slight decline. 16 test matches have gone to new centres.
Why does India change centre?
This is an unwritten rotation policy that the Indian Cricket Board follows while allocating venues for various bilateral fixtures played in the country to keep the various state associations happy. Apart from rotation, weather conditions also play a role in deciding the venues for domestic events.
How do England and Australia compare?
In comparison to India, England and Australia have placed their Test matches in the 21st century at nine and 10 positions respectively.
England’s Tests have been held at Lord’s (46 matches), The Oval (23), Edgbaston (20), Headingley, Old Trafford, Trent Bridge (19). Riverside Ground, The Rose Bowl (6) and Sophia Garden (3) Are lower ranked but have not hosted any matches since 2016, 2020 and 2015 respectively.
Australia’s Test matches have been held largely at the Sydney Cricket Ground (26), Adelaide Oval, Brisbane, Melbourne Cricket Ground (23) and Perth (20). Matches have also taken place in Hobart (9), Cairns, Darwin (2), and Canberra (1).
