Arun Jaitley Stadium

Lore & Background

The first Test match at this venue was played on 10 November 1948 when India took on the West Indies. In 1952, playing against Pakistan, Hemu Adhikari and Ghulam Ahmed were involved in a record tenth wicket stand of 111 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, Bishen Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna combined to spin India to a famous seven-wicket win over Australia, the duo picking 18 wickets between themselves.

In 1983, Sunil Gavaskar hit his 29th test ton in this ground to equal Don Bradman's then record tally of 29 centuries. In 1999, Anil Kumble took all 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan, to become only the second bowler to achieve this feat after Jim Laker. In December 2005, Sachin Tendulkar scored his 35th test century against Sri Lanka to break Sunil Gavaskar record of the most test centuries. On 27 December 2009, an ODI match between India and Sri Lanka was called off because pitch conditions were classed as unfit to host a match.

Based on the match referee's report of the match, the ground was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for 12 months. International cricket returned with the 2011 Cricket World Cup. During the second day of the third test of Sri Lankan cricket team in India in 2017-18 at Delhi, smog forced Sri Lanka cricketers to stop play and wear anti-pollution masks, a rare sight in terms of play interruptions. Cricketer Lahiru Gamage reported to have shortness of breath.

Nic Pothas, coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team, reported that cricketer Suranga Lakmal had vomited regularly due to the severe pollution effect on the Delhi ground. There was a halt of play between 12:32 pm and 12:49 pm, which caused Indian coach Ravi Shastri to come out to consult with the on-field umpires. BCCI president C. K. Khanna accused the Sri Lankan team of making fuss while Indian spectators called the team 'melodramatic'. On day 4, India's Mohammed Shami was also seen vomiting on the field.

Following the match, both participating countries criticized the choice to play the Test in Delhi with the high levels of pollution.

Reader's Guide

The stadium is located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. Accessibility: Road: Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg; Bus stops: Ambedkar stadium bus stop, Delhi gate bus stop, Saheed park bus stop, Ambedkar stadium terminal, Darya Ganj, Darya Ganj Golcha Cinema; Delhi Metro: Delhi Gate Metro Station; Indian Railways: Tilak Bridge railway station (TKJ); Air: Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was renamed in memory of former DDCA President and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 12 September 2019.
• One of the stands was named after former Indian captain Virat Kohli on the same date.
• The home team's dressing room was named after the late Raman Lamba and the away dressing room after Prakash Bhandari.