Ground information
Location Motera, Ahmedabad, GujaratEstablishment 1982
Capacity 54,000[1]
Owner Gujarat Cricket Association
Operator Gujarat Cricket Association
Tenants Indian Cricket Team (1983-present)
Rajasthan Royals (2010)
End names
Adani Pavilion EndGMDC End
International information
First Test 12 Nov - 16 Nov 1983: India v West IndiesLast Test 16 Nov - 20 Nov 2009: India v Sri Lanka
First ODI 5 Oct 1984: India v Australia
Last ODI 27 Feb 2010: India v South Africa
Domestic team information
Gujarat cricket team (1983-present)About
Formerly known as the Gujarat Stadium, the ground was later renamed in tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Apart from cricket, the ground has played host to a number of programs arranged by the Government of Gujarat. The pitch once favoured the bowlers, but has lately been host to competitive games.
As of May 2010, the Motera stadium has played host to 19 ODI matches. In India, only Eden Gardens (22 ODI Matches) has hosted more ODI matches than Motera Stadium. The stadium is also one of the host venues for 2011 Cricket World Cup to be held in India. It is scheduled to host 3 matches, including a Quarter final match.
Before Sardar Patel Stadium (Motera Stadium) came into existence, International cricket matches in the city were played at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's stadium of the same name (Sardar Patel Stadium) in the Navrangpura locality of the city. In 1982, the Government of Gujarat donated a 50-acre (200,000 m2) stretch of land on the banks of the Sabarmati River for the construction of new stadium. The construction of the Sardar Patel Stadium was carried out in a span of nine months and since then all International cricket fixtures for the city are hosted here. The stadium hosted its first International Test match on November 12, 1983 between India and the West Indies. Later in the 1984-85 Australia-India series, Sardar Patel Stadium went on to host its first ODI, one in which Australia beat the Indians.
Sunil Gavaskar became the first-ever cricketer to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket on this ground – a feat he achieved against Pakistan. Seven years later Kapil Dev claimed his 432nd Test wicket on this ground to become the highest wicket taker in the world, breaking Sir Richard Hadlee's record for the most number of wickets in Test matches here. Before he became the highest wicket taker, Kapil Dev also made a nine-wicket haul in his career here at the Motera ground. In 1996, the ground hosted a low-scoring Test match against South Africa, where the tourists faltered while chasing a paltry 170 for a win to end up at 105 all out. Javagal Srinath scalped six wickets in the fourth innings of the match. However, South Africa had their sweet revenge when they bowled India out for 76 runs in the first session of the Test match in 2008 and then went on to win it by an innings and 90 runs.
The Stadium was also one of the venues for the 2006 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, with five of the 15 games being played here. It has also hosted one game in each of the two Cricket World Cups that were played in the country, including the first match of the 1996 World Cup between England and New Zealand.
The Stadium is an adopted home venue for the Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals. The Stadium hosted four of the seven home games of Rajasthan Royals during the 2010 season of the Indian Premier League. Rajasthan Royals won three out of those four games played here.
Test Match Records
Highest innings total: Sri Lanka 760/7d - India v Sri Lanka, 2nd innings, 16 Nov 2009
Lowest innings total: India 76 - India v South Africa, 1 innings, 3 Apr 2008
Highest individual score: Mahela Jayawardene 275 (Balls:435 4x27 6x1) - Sri Lanka v India, 16 Nov 2009
Best bowling:
(in an innings) Kapil Dev 83/9 - India v West Indies, 12 Nov 1983
(in a match) Venkatapathy Raju 125/11 - India v Sri Lanka, 8 Feb 1994
Most runs: Rahul Dravid (India) 666 Runs (Mat:6 Inn:12 HS:222 Ave:60.54 SR:50.18 100x2 50x1)
Most wickets: Anil Kumble (India) 36 Wickets (Mat:7 Runs:964 BBI:7/115 BBM:10/233 Ave:26.77 Econ:2.29 SR:70.1 5W/I:3 10W/M:1)
[edit]One Day International Match Records
Highest total: South Africa 365/2 - India v South Africa, 1st innings, 27 Feb 2010
Lowest total: Zimbabwe 85 - Zimbabwe v West Indies, 1st innings, 8 Oct 2006
Highest individual score: Sourav Ganguly 144 (Balls:152 4x8 6x6) - India v Zimbabwe, 5 Dec 2000
Best bowling: Farveez Maharoof 20/4 - Sri Lanka v India, 6 Nov 2005
Most runs: Rahul Dravid (India) 342 Runs (Mat:5 Inn:5 HS:109* Ave:114.00 SR:83.00 100x2 50x1)
Most wickets: Kapil Dev (India) 10 Wickets (Mat:6 Runs:156 Best:3/26 Ave:15.60 Econ:3.04)
Motera has witnessed some great feats of Indian cricket history:
Sunil Gavaskar completed 10,000 runs in Test cricket in 1986-87 against Pakistan.
Kapil Dev, who had taken 9 wickets in an innings in the first match on this ground scalped his 432nd wicket in Test cricket to pass Sir Richard Hadlee's record, thus becoming the highest wicket taker in Test cricket at that time.
In October 1999, Sachin Tendulkar scored his first Test Match double-hundred in a match against New Zealand.
Sachin Tendulkar completed his 20 years of International Cricket here on November 16th, 2009 against Sri Lanka. During the same game, Sachin Tendulkar reached a landmark of 30,000 runs in International cricket which by far no cricketer has achieved.
AB de Villiers reached his first double-hundred against India during the second test of South Africa's tour to India in 2008.
