In 1846, a cricket ground designed byHenry Irwin was established byAlexander Arbuthnot in the Chepauk palace grounds.[4][5] In 1859, theMadras Presidency acquired the Chepauk palace from theNawab of Carnatic. In 1865, a new pavilion was constructed and it became the home of theMadras Cricket Club (MCC).[4][6] The original Chisholm pavilion located in the southwestern corner of the ground was badly damaged in a cyclone in 1889, and a new pavilion was constructed to replace the same in 1892. The new Irwin pavilion was built inAnglo-Indian architecture.[6] The venue hosted a match between the touring Europeans versus the Indians Presidency in 1908.[7] The stadium was formally established in 1916 when the presidency matches were planned as an annual event.[5][7][8]
WhenM. A. Chidambaram became the president of theMadras Cricket Association (MCA) in 1956, the association wanted to occupy the ground permanently. However, the MCC was reluctant to loan the use of the ground, fearing that regular use would lead to deterioration of the facilities. Hence, after India's first test victory in 1952, test matches inMadras were hosted at thecorporation stadium till January 1967.[7] When the 30-year lease of the stadium held by the MCC ended in 1966, the MCA obtained the least from theMadras government.[13]
The MCA changed its name to theTamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) after the state was renamed from Madras State to Tamil Nadu. The TNCA wanted to build a permanent structure as the stadium still hosted matches with temporary stands and the foundation stone for the new stadium structure was laid in 1971.[13] The Government of Tamil Nadu gave₹1.5 million (US$18,000) with Chidambaram donating a similar amount from his wealth and the Madras Race Club donated₹0.5 million (US$5,900). The remaining amount of₹14 million (US$170,000) was loaned by the banks. The construction was completed in 1981.[13]
A major reconstruction work was undertaken at the cost of₹1.75 billion (US$21 million) in 2010 ahead of the2011 Cricket World Cup.[17][18] The plan consisted of constructing three new reinforced concrete stands which would accommodate an additional 12,000 spectators and the addition of 24 hospitality boxes.[19] The renovation also included the construction of new translucentPTFE roofs to replace the old roofs supported by pillars that blocked the view of spectators and the redesigning of the stands at a gradient of 36°, which would let the sea breeze get into the ground.[20][21] The stadium hosted four matches during the2011 Cricket World Cup, which was won by India.[16]
View of the stadium in 2023
On 31 March 2015, theSupreme Court of India ruled that the renovation violated regulations relating to public safety.[22][23] The court further ruled that the parts of the renovation which violate the regulations must be demolished and ordered the new stands to be sealed then.[24][25] The stands remained sealed as the MCC gymnasium had to be demolished to adhere to the safety regulations laid down by theGreater Chennai Corporation and the MCC was reluctant to do so. After the lease agreement between the government and TNCA ended in 2016, the agreement was renewed in 2019 for 21 years with revised conditions.[26][27] The stands were finally de-sealed and opened in March 2020.[27]
Further renovation works were planned in 2021-22 ahead of the2023 Cricket World Cup. In December 2021, the old Anna pavilion, some of the stands and the MCC clubhouse were demolished to make way for a new pavilion and new stands.[28] The demolition temporarily reduced the capacity to 31,140.[29] The renovations were done at a cost of₹1.39 billion (US$16 million) and following its completion, the permanent seating capacity of the stadium expanded to 38,000.[28][30][31] The new stand which housed the Anna Pavilion was named after formerTamil Nadu Chief MinisterM. Karunanidhi and was inaugurated on 17 March 2023.[32] The stadium hosted five matches during the2023 Cricket World Cup.[16]
Narendra Hirwani took 8wickets for 61runs against the West Indies in January 1988, which are the bestbowling figures by an Indian on Test debut and the third best overall.[39] His match figures of 16 wickets for 136 runs in the match are a record for any bowler on debut.[40]
Virender Sehwag scored 319 runs off 278 balls againstSouth Africa in thehome series in April 2008, thefastest triple century in Test history. He also became only the third batsman after Bradman andBrian Lara to score two triple centuries in Test Cricket. He scored 257 runs the third day of the match, which was the most runs scored by an individual batsman on a single day of a Test match since 1954.Rahul Dravid completed 10,000 Test runs in the same match.[44]
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most Test runs of any other venue in India in Chepauk with 876 runs in nine Tests at an average of 87.60.[45]
India scored 387/4 in the fourth innings of the first Testagainst England in December 2008, which is the second-highest successful run chase for India in Test cricket.[46]
India scored 759 runs in their first innings of the fifth test against England in thehome series in December 2016 withKarun Nair scoring 303not out. This was India's highest team total in Test cricket and Nair became the second Indian after Sehwag to score atriple century.[49][50]
Joe Root scored 218 runs in the first test against India intheir away series in February 2021, which was the highest score by an English cricketer in India, and also the highest score in the 100th Test of any individual.[51]
India v
England
Bangladesh
Australia
Pakistan v
South Africa
New Zealand
West Indies
Ireland
