The stadium bears the name of the former President of the BCCI and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, MA Chidambaram. It was previously known as the Madras Cricket Club Ground and was established in 1916, making it the oldest continuously used venue in India. Commonly referred to as Chepauk, after the locality it resides in, this historic ground has a rich cricketing heritage.
Since 2008, Chepauk has been the cherished home ground of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Its international debut dates back to 1934 when it hosted its first-ever Test match between India and England, resulting in a 202-run victory for the visiting team. Over the years, the stadium has undergone significant changes, notably the installation of floodlights in 1996 and a comprehensive reconstruction in 2009 to accommodate more spectators and provide state-of-the-art facilities.
One of the most captivating aspects of this venue is its passionate and knowledgeable crowd. The Chepauk crowd is renowned for its impartiality, appreciating outstanding performances regardless of the team. A notable example is when Saeed Anwar received a standing ovation for his record-breaking 194. Even when Pakistan won a Test match in 1999, they were warmly applauded by the crowd, and as a mark of respect, the Pakistani team took a lap of honor around the ground.
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In the earlier days when the pitches were left uncovered and unattended, they tended to favor the fast bowlers. However, a significant shift occurred when India introduced its formidable spin quartet consisting of Bishan Singh Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar, S Venkataraghavan, and EAS Prasanna. Consequently, the wickets at Chepauk began to be tailored to favor spinners. Examining the statistics provides a clear insight into which type of bowlers excel on the Chepauk wicket.
Among the top 10 wicket-takers at this ground, an overwhelming nine of them are spinners. The lone fast bowler to make the list is Kapil Dev. Anil Kumble holds the top spot with an impressive 48 wickets, closely followed by Harbhajan Singh with 42 wickets to his name.