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PCA Stadium, Mohali (First Test)

Mohali

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Barely eight kms from the city centre in Chandigarh, the Mohali-based PCA Stadium is the most modern of the Indian stadiums with a capacity of about 40,000. It can be the perfect settings for cricket: with an excellent wicket and outfield and first class facilities.

In fact, the PCA Stadium in the first week of December can be more English than Indian winter just setting in, seamer-friendly weather and a 'green' and hard wicket: the first Test will be England's best chance in the series.

Cricket buffs haven't yet forgotten a misty December morning in '94 when, in the first-ever Test on this ground, the West Indian pace bowlers Courtney Walsh and Kenny Benjamin terrorised the Indian batting - and dressing room - to fashion an incredible win for the guests. Since then, the grass on the wicket may have become scarcer, and it may have been playing relatively slower, but the morning sessions have always belonged to seamers. The last Test played here, in October 1999 between India and New Zealand saw India being shot out for 82 on a damp first morning. The next morning saw a Kiwi collapse but the wicket got better and better and once the moisture eased out on it, high scores were the order of the match.

England have been to Chandigarh twice (ODIs, in January 1985 which England won and January 1993 when India got revenge) but the games were held at the Sector 16 Stadium.

Chandigarh city can accommodate up to 3-4,000 guests.

Mohandas Menon provides some statistical information on those matches.


SUMMARY OF MATCHES
Test Nos Start date Last date Opponents Result
1 10th Dec 1994 14th Dec 1994 West Indies WI won by 243 runs
2 19th Nov 1997 23rd Nov 1997 Sri Lanka drawn
3 10th Oct 1999 14th Oct 1999 New Zealand Drawn

HIGHEST TEAM TOTALS
Totals For Against Series
9/515 India Sri Lanka 1997-98
3/505 India New Zealand 1999-00

LOWEST TEAM TOTALS AT MOHALI
Totals For Against Series
83 India New Zealand 1999-00
9/114 India West Indies 1994-95

BEST INDIVIDUAL BATTING PERFORMANCES
  Runs For Agst Inn Tst Series
JC Adams 174* WI Ind 1st 3rd 1994-95
RS Dravid 144 Ind NZ 2nd 1st 1999-00
NS Sidhu 131 Ind SL 1st 1st 1997-98
SR Tendulkar 126* Ind NZ 2nd 1st 1999-00
M Prabhakar 120 Ind WI 1st 3rd 1994-95
PA de Silva 110* SL Ind 2nd 1st 1997-98
SC Ganguly 109 Ind SL 1st 1st 1997-98
MS Atapattu 108 SL Ind 1st 1st 1997-98

BEST INDIVIDUAL BOWLING PERFORMANCES
  Wkts For Against Series Ave
DJ Nash 6-27 NZ Ind 1999-00 4.50
J Srinath 6-45 Ind NZ 1999-00 7.50
KCG Benjamin 5-65 WI Ind 1994-95 13.00

HIGHEST PARTNERSHIPS FOR EACH WICKET
Batsmen Wkt Runs For Against Series
DJ Gandhi & S Ramesh 1st 137 Ind NZ 1999-00
MS Atapattu & RS Mahanama 2nd 104 SL Ind 1997-98
RS Dravid & SR Tendulkar 3rd 229 Ind NZ 1999-00
JC Adams & KLT Arthurton 4th 145* WI Ind 1994-95
M Azharuddin & SC Ganguly 5th 79 Ind SL 1997-98
PA de Silva & HDPK Dharmasena 6th 103 SL Ind 1997-98
JC Adams & AC Cummins 7th 99 WI Ind 1994-95
JC Adams & CA Walsh 8th 38 WI Ind 1994-95
SC Ganguly & A Kuruvilla 9th 89 Ind SL 1997-98
SLV Raju & J Srinath 10th 64 Ind WI 1994-95

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