Arun Jaitley Stadium is a cricketing venue located in Delhi, the capital of India.

Also known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, the Arun Jaitley Stadium hosted its first international match in November 1948, which was a drawn Test between India and West Indies. 

Overall, it has staged 34 Test matches. Interestingly, the Indian cricket team has remained unbeaten in Tests at the Delhi District Cricket Association stadium from March 1993 onwards. India have won 13 of the 34 Tests played at the stadium, while touring sides have claimed six wins and 14 encounters have ended in draws.

Here are the Test records and stats at the Arun Jaitley stadium.

Arun Jaitley Stadium Test records and stats

Highest team total

The West Indies cricket team posted a daunting total of 644/8d in the fifth Test of their 1959 tour of India. It is the highest team total in Tests by any side at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Riding on three centuries from John Holt (123), Collie Smith (100) and Joe Solomon (100*), the Windies took control of the match after India scored 415/10 having batted first. Nonetheless, the match ended in a draw at the end of five days.

Lowest team total

During the Windies’ tour of India in 1987, the hosts were bundled out for 75 runs in the first game of the four-match series against West Indies in November. It is the lowest team total in Tests at the Arun Jaitley Stadium till date.

Batting first, India were put on the backfoot on the first day itself following seamer Patrick Patterson’s five-wicket haul. The underwhelming batting performance proved to be decisive as West Indies won the match by five wickets.

Average first innings score

The Average first innings score in Tests at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is 342, which indicates a good batting pitch where teams batting first can post a decent total. 

However, the teams bowling first have won more Test matches here as compared to the sides batting first, which hints towards a change in the nature of the pitch as the match progresses.

Highest individual score

During the third and final Test of Sri Lanka’s tour of India in 2017, the hosts’ captain Virat Kohli smashed a 287-ball 243 against Sri Lanka in December and it is the highest individual score at the venue. The fixture concluded in a high-scoring draw but India won the series 1-0.

Best bowling figures

Legendary India cricketer Anil Kumble became the second player to bag a 10-wicket haul in an innings in Tests when he took 10/74 against Pakistan in February 1999, which is the best bowling figures in Tests at the venue.

Owing to Kumble’s famous spell, Team India emerged victorious by 212 runs and drew the series 1-1.

Before his above-mentioned feat, the right-arm spinner took four wickets in the first innings to finish the match with 14/149, which is the best bowling figures in a Test match at DDCA.

Most runs

The God of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, holds the record for most runs in Tests at the venue. Tendulkar scored 759 runs in 10 matches, including two tons and four half-centuries.

Moreover, a 109-run knock against Sri Lanka in December 2005 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was Little Master’s 35th Test hundred, getting the better of Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34 centuries to become the player with the most centuries in Test cricket history. 

Most wickets

Veteran Team India spinner Anil Kumble holds the record for most wickets in Tests at Arun Jaitley stadium. He is the only player to take more than 50 wickets here having scalped 58 wickets at an average of 16.79 and an economy of 2.31 in just seven Tests.

Highest partnership

In the same match where Virat Kohli registered the highest individual score (243) in Tests at the Arun Jaitley stadium, opener Murali Vijay too rose to the occasion with a century as the two batters forged a 283-run stand, which is the record for the highest partnership in Tests at the venue. 

 

Photo credit: Alamy