Pitch Report: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

• Cricket365
• December 5, 2015

Established: 1883
End names: Stadium End, Pavilion End
Home team: Delhi
Floodlights: Yes
Test history: 32 Tests, 12 home wins, 5 away wins, 15 draws

Overview

The Feroz Shah Kotla is a cricket ground located at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi. It was established in 1883 and is the second oldest international cricket stadium still functional in India, after the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The Kotla staged its first Test in the 1948-49 season when the mighty West Indies under John Goddard took on India for a five Test series and the ground has produced some really good performances.

Over the years, the pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla has largely been batting friendly. However, in December 2009, the Kotla pitch came under severe criticism after an ODI between India and Sri Lanka had to be called off.

The pitch was deemed unfit and dangerous after instances of atrocious uneven bounce off the pitch. Sri Lanka were 83 for 5 when the match officials decided that the game couldn't be continued further, owing to players' safety.

Last Time Out

The last Test played at the venue was in March 2013 when India hosted Australia in the fourth and final Test in a series that the home team won four-nil.

It was not a high-scoring match as Australia, who won the toss, mustered a total of 262 all out in the first innings. India spinner Ravi Ashwin took five for 57 in 34 overs.

The hosts replied by being bowled out for 272 with Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon taking seven wickets, although the visitors batsmen could not capitalise on offspinners good work.

The tourists were bundled out for a paltry 164 in the second stint at the crease with India's left-arm spinner Ravi Jadeja this time wreaking havoc with a five-wicket haul.

India knocked off the target of 155 with only four wickets down. Cheteshwar Pujara, who opened the batting, was 82 not out as the hosts completed the whitewash on the third day of the final Test.

Happy Hunting Ground

India batting legend has the most runs at the ground with 759 but he has also played the most matches (10) at the venue. The highest individual score belongs to Vinod Kambli who scored 227 in 1993.

Former India legspinner Anil Kumble has the most wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla, picking up 58 wickets in seven games at an average of 16.79. This includes the rare feat of taking all ten wickets in an innings against Pakistan in 1999.

They Said

Ashwin after the Test against Australia in 2013: "You didn't know which ball was going to bounce and turn and which one was going to scoot along the surface.

"You had to try and make sure you increased your pace so that the batsman didn't have time to adjust. It was easier on the third day, compared to the previous evening."

Australia allrounder Shane Watson after the same match: "To see how the wicket played in this game was certainly a huge challenge against their high quality spinners and even they struggled at times with our high quality spinners as well.

"The conditions here are very foreign and the conditions have been just about the opposite to anything we have got in Australia, that's for sure, but also playing cricket here in the past whether it was Test matches, one-dayers or T20s, the wickets have been different to those as well.It's been a big learning curve for everyone."

"To see how the wicket played in this game was certainly a huge challenge against their high quality spinners and even they struggled at times with our high quality spinners as well."

Weather Forecast

The sun is scheduled to be out for all the days of the Test match, however long that may be as no game in the series has lasted more than three days.

It will be a high of between 26 and 27 degrees Celsius on all the days.

Conclusion

With India having already won the series and broken South Africa's proud away record of going nine years unbeaten in Test series on the road, expect nothing much to change.

The surface came for the third Test in Nagpur came in criticism for breaking on Day one but the home team will not care, it could be a bunsen burner again, so win the toss and you have a huge advantage if you bat first.