M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is India’s second-oldest cricket stadium, established during British rule in Chennai (formerly Madras City), Tamil Nadu. M.A. Stadium has been hosting all kinds of cricket events since its establishment: test cricket, ODI matches, and T20 matches. It has a different taste in all three formats.
Introduction
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, commonly known as the Chepauk Stadium, was established in 1916 and situated in Chepauk, a few hundred meters from Marina Beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The stadium is owned and operated by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium is named after the former BCCI President and head of TNCA, Mr. M.A. Chidambaram. Formerly, the stadium was called Madras Cricket Club Ground. M.A. Chidambaram Stadium hosted the first match in the Ranji Trophy on 19-February-1934 between Madras and Mysore, and the first international match was won by the Indian team against the England team in 1952.
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators after renovations completed in 2011. The earliest capacity of M.A. Chidambaram Stadium was 38200 spectators, this ground has been renovated many times since its original establishment in 1866. The operation of the stadium has also been in various hands.
The Indian team has the record for scoring the most runs (759/7), with Karun Nair’s 303 in the same inning against England on 19 December 2016. The best chase record on this field is 487/4 in the 4th inning of the test match between India and England.
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most test runs on this ground with a total of 876 in 9 matches with an average of 87.6. While, MS Dhoni was the first wicketkeeper in India, 7th in the world, to score 224 runs in his first test match against Australia. While, Sehwag has made the most runs (319 in test format), Karun Mair has the best score of 303 not out at this ground.
Narendra Hirwani has the highest wicket taking record at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, with 8 wickets giving 61 runs, the third best in the world. Saeed Anwar from the Pakistan team has scored the ODI’s highest runs (194) against India.
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium Pitch Report
MA Chidambaram Stadium is known to favour the spinners, the slow movement of the ball after bouncing on the pitch gives the spinners the opportunity to deliver the desired curve of the ball. The ground is generally dry and hard due to its black soil pitch, which gives it a better grip when spinning. The grass on this field will not be green and will deteriorate with time. It’s a dry and hard pitch, making it simple to hit in the first inning.
The fast ballers always found it difficult to bounce the ball with high speed on the pitch because the ball comes in slow, the batters take a bit of time to adjust to the sluggish nature of the pitch.
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium IPL Schedule 2024
For 2024, IPL has scheduled one match at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium below:
| DATE | TEAM | TIME |
| 22 March, Friday | Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 8:00PM IST |
| 26 March, Tuesday | Chennai Super Kings vs Gujrat Giants | 7:30PM IST |
Records and Stats
The Indian team has been the most successful team on this ground in all formats of cricket, with 15 wins in test matches, 8 wins in ODI matches, and a single win in T20 matches, and New Zealand is second with 1 match. From the international teams, England has been the most successful team in test matches, with the second highest winning number of 4 matches. West Indies, with 2 winning matches, has been the second-most successful team in ODI format.
Test Match Records at MA Chidambaram Stadium
Team India has won 15 matches in test match format and the most successful track against the England team. The England team is the second-most successful team on this ground in test-match format.
| Total matches | 121 |
| Batting First Won | 64 |
| Batting Second Won | 55 |
| Total Match (Team India) | 34 |
| Total Matches won | 15 |
| Average 1st inning Score | 337 |
| Average 2nd inning Score | 329 |
| Average 3rd inning Score | 243 |
| Average 4th inning Score | 161 |
| Highest total recorded | 759/7 (190.4 Overs) By IND vs ENG |
| Lowest total recorded | 83/10 (38.5 Overs) By IND vs ENG |
| Highest score chased | 387/4 (98.3 Overs) By IND vs ENG |
| Lowest score defended | 171/10 (85.2 Overs) By IND vs AUS |
ODI Match Records at MA Chidambaram Stadium
Team India has the most wins in ODI format against the West Indies team, with 3 winning matches. Australian team has the best winning record as an international team at MA Chidambaram Stadium
| Total matches | 39 |
| Batting First Won | 18 |
| Balling First Won | 20 |
| Average 1st inning Score | 229 |
| Average 2nd inning Score | 208 |
| Highest total recorded | 337/7 (50 Overs) By ASIA XI vs AFRICA XI |
| Lowest total recorded | 69/10 (23.5 Overs) By KEN vs NZ |
| Highest score chased | 291/2 (47.5 Overs) By IND vs WI |
| Lowest score defended | 171/10 (45.4 Overs) By ENG vs RSA |
T20 Match Records at MA Chidambaram Stadium
MA Chidambaram Stadium has been the home of the Chennai Super Kings since 2008. Chennai Super Kings won their second IPL trophy at MA Chidambaram Stadium in 2011 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. CSK has won five IPL Trophy till now.
| Total matches | 6 |
| Batting First Won | 5 |
| Balling First Won | 1 |
| Average 1st inning Score | 150 |
| Average 2nd inning Score | 119 |
| Highest total recorded | 182/4 (20 Overs) By IND vs WI |
| Lowest total recorded | 80/10 (17.5 Overs) By PAKW vs ENGW |
| Highest score chased | 182/4 (20 Overs) By IND vs WI |
| Lowest score defended | 103/8 (20 Overs) BY WIW vs PAKW |
