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Windies one up on India
at Nagpur

Mohandas Menon

Known as the 'City of oranges', Nagpur is a bustling city, located in central India, in the Vidarbha region of the state of Maharashtra. Situated on the Nag River, it was the capital of the Maratha kingdom in the 18th century. Later it became the capital of the newly-formed Madhya Pradesh state in 1950, until it was passed on to Maharashtra in 1960.

Although cricket has been played in the city from the turn of the last century, it gained importance during the 1920s, when the then popular Central Provinces Quadrangular was played.

However, it was only in October 1969 that the ground had the privilege of staging an international match -- the second Test between India and New Zealand. The Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium, which can accommodate about 42,000 spectators, has so far hosted seven Test matches and ten limited over internationals matches, from 1985 to 2000.

The home team has appeared in eight LOI matches, winning and losing four matches each. The West Indians have appeared in only one match at this venue, on December 8, 1987. They won a close match, by 10 runs. After scoring 203 for 8 in their 50 overs, the visitors restricted the home side to 193 in 44.4 overs.

New Zealand's 348 for 8 in 50 overs in November 1995 against the home team remains the highest team score, while Zimbabwe's 154 (in 45.3 overs) against Australia in the 1996 World Cup is the lowest on this ground.

Sourav Ganguly's unbeaten 130 in 160 balls against Sri Lanka in 1999 is the highest individual score at this venue.

Out of the six individual centuries that have been recorded, four have come for the home team. West Indian fast bowler Patrick Patterson's 6 for 29 in 9.4 overs against India in 1987 is the best bowling figures.

The West Indian remains the only bowler to take a five-plus wicket haul at this venue. Interestingly, Ganguly has the second best figures of 4 for 21 against Sri Lanka in 1999.

In the ten matches played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium, batsmen have an overall aggregate of 4364 runs and @ an average of 30.95 and a strike rate of 82.01 runs per 100 balls. Out of the 124 wickets taken by bowlers at this ground only 36.29% of the wickets (45) have been claimed by spinners.

Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne (4 for 34 in 9.3 overs), against Zimbabwe in the 1996 World Cup, has the best figures by a spinner at Nagpur.