An Overview of the 6 new Test venues announced by BCCI

One hundred and eight grounds have hosted test cricket since the first officially recognised Test match between Australia and England in Melbourne in March 1877. Twenty-one grounds of India have hosted Test cricket since the first officially recognised test match between India and England in Mumbai in December 1933. In the 86th annual general meeting of BCCI, the cricket board took a decision to announce 6 new test centers which are Pune, Ranchi, Indore, Rajkot, Vishakhapatnam and Dharamsala. In this meeting, BCCI has taken some important decisions in the presence of the new President Shashank Manohar.Here we have presented in brief about the new six Test venues:

#1 Ranchi: Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium

JSCA IS the home ground of the Indian ODI captain MS Dhoni

Location: Ranchi, Jharkhand

Introduction: JSCA stadium has hosted three ODIs and many t20 matches including CLT20 matches, and it has been the home ground of Chennai Super Kings in IPL. JSCA stadium has been the castle for the Jharkhand Ranji team for many years.

Capacity: Nearly 40,000

#2 Rajkot: Saurashta Cricket Association Stadium

Rajkot has recently hosted an ODI match between India and South Africa

Location: Rajkot, Gujarat

Introduction: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is also known as Khandheri Cricket Stadium. Rajkot has hosted two ODIs and one t20 match till now. It is the home turf of test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The stadium has been in the cricket news when Saurashtra run machines Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja made their double or triple-hundreds.

The stadium has one stand called VVS Laxman stand. The media box here is similar in design to the one at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London and thus it is known as India’s Lord’s.

Capacity: Nearly 28,000

#3 Dharamsala: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium

It is regarded as one of the most attractive venues of India

Location: Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh

Introduction: This stadium constructed at a cost of about 60 crore provides all the modern day facilities prevalent in other International venues across the world.

It boasts of state-of-art indoor and outdoor practice areas, spacious dressing rooms with requisite facilities, latest irrigation facilities, well-equipped gymnasium, separate press gallery, TV & Radio Commentators Boxes, club house, recreational centre, post match conference hall, and indeed one of the most picturesque views in the world. It has hosted two ODI matches so far along with IPL matches.

Capacity: Nearly 25,000

#4 Pune: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium

It is popularly known as Subroto Roy Sahara Stadium

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

Introduction: The MCA Stadium has hosted one ODI and two T20s till date. This stadium has been designed by Hopkins Architects of London who completed construction in 2012. The speciality of this ground is that it can sustain heavy downpour and has a great drainage system.

The site is located close the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, just outside the city of Pune, with great views of the surrounding mountains.

Capacity: Nearly 42,000

#5 Visakhapatnam: Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium

The picturesque ACA-VDCA ground is set on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam amidst scenic hills

Location: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Introduction: It has hosted five ODIs and two t20s so far. Having been established in 2003, it has a well-equipped drainage system and floodlights. This ground has one of the best batting tracks in the world.

The stadium has a two-tier architecture and designed in such a way that the view of the match in action is not obstructed regardless of the seating location. This stadium was used as an IPL venue for the Deccan Chargers in 2012.

Capacity : Nearly 30,000 spectators

#6 Indore: Holkar Cricket Stadium

Holker Cricket Stadium was one of the new six centres as announced by BCCI

Location: Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Introduction: It was earlier known as Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground. But in 2010, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association renamed it after the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas that ruled Indore.

The stadium has hosted 5 ODI matches, out which 4 were won by India and hence this is considered as a lucky stadium for Team India. Virender Sehwag scored the second highest ODI score of 219 at this ground at this ground against West Indies. It has dressing rooms named after Rahul Dravid and Mansur Ali Khan Patodi.

Capacity : Nearly 30,000