Let Us Teach You All About Green Park Stadium in Kanpur
Green Park Stadium is a quaint cricket stadium in Kanpur. It was constructed in 1945 and can seat up to 32,000 spectators. The Uttar Pradesh cricket team play their home matches here, while it is the second home ground for the Gujarat Lions. It has played host to 22 test matches, 14 ODI matches, and one T20 match, but it hasn’t hosted an international cricket match since 2017. If you would like to find out more about this stadium, please keep reading.
The History of Green Park Stadium
You are probably sitting there wondering how this stadium got its name. Well, it got its name from Madam Green, who was known for practising horse riding there during the 1940s. It also has the nickname “Woolmer’s Turf“ as Bob Woolmer, a former player and coach, was born just opposite. The stadium itself is located in the northeast of the city, close to the river Ganges.
It has seen a number of changes over the years, which means that it actually now lacks the tradition that many of the other great cricket stadiums in India have. The floodlights are quite low (which can make catching the ball tricky at times), while the spectators are left exposed to the weather as the stands are uncovered. However, it does happen to have the biggest manual scoreboard in the cricketing world. It also has video screens that are used when international matches are being played there. This means that these video screens have been out of use for the last two years.
The ends of the wicket are the Hostel End and the Mill Pavilion End. These are named after the DAV College and Elgin Mill which can be found quite close to the stadium. It has recently got new dressing rooms, a Directorate Pavilion, and a VIP Pavilion.
"The pitch that you will find here is often a batting paradise, but there is sometimes some assistance for spin bowlers. Fast bowlers, however, have not really been able to get much success at this ground. Kanpur is one of the most polluted cities in India, so if batsmen can overcome the thick smog that often descends on the city, they can have a field day."
What Great Games Has This Cricket Stadium Seen?
- India V New Zealand in 2016: This was a historic match as it just so happened to be India’s 500th test match. The Indian team rose to the occasion and beat the Kiwis by a whopping 197 runs.
- West Indies V Sri Lanka in 1987: This was the one and only time that this city got to host World Cup cricket. The locals got to watch the West Indies take on Sri Lanka in a Group Stage match. West Indies ended up winning the match by 25 runs.
- India V Sri Lanka in 2009: India scored 642 runs in their first innings thanks to three centuries from Gautam Gambhir (167), Virender Sehwag (131), and Rahul Dravid (144). There were also half-centuries from VVS Laxman (63) and Yuvraj Singh (67). India then went on to bowl the visitors out for 229 and 269, meaning they won by an innings and 144 runs.
- India V New Zealand in 2017: This is an ODI that those who were in attendance will remember for a long time. India scored 337/6 in their 50 overs thanks 147 runs from Rohit Sharma and 113 runs from Virat Kohli. New Zealand then scored 331 runs from their 50 overs, meaning that India won by just 6 runs.
- India V New Zealand in 1976: Anyone who loves run fests will have been extremely happy to be at this match as 1275 runs were scored in the 479.5 overs that were bowled. The match ended in a draw.
Here Are Some Other Stats That Might Interest You
- Anil Kumble’s first and only game as captain of the ODI team was against England in 2002. India restricted the visitors to 218 runs from their 50 overs and chased it down within 30 overs for the loss of just two wickets.
- Rohit Sharma is the only player that has managed two ODI centuries at this ground.
- Gundappa Viswanath has scored the most runs at this venue. In the 7 matches that he played there (12 innings), he scored 776 runs (3 centuries and 4 half-centuries) at an average of 22.
- Shahid Afridi holds the record for the most sixes hit at this stadium. In the two ODI matches that he played, he hit 9 huge sixes.
- West Indies’ Faoud Bacchus has the highest individual score at this stadium. In 1979, he smashed 250 runs against India, but this wasn’t enough to see his team over the line as the match was drawn.
- Kapil Dev has taken the most wickets at this venue. In the 7 matches (9 innings) that he played, he picked up 25 wickets at an average of 84.
- The great Murali Muralitharan has the distinction of having conceded the most runs in a single innings on this ground. In 2009, he bowled 37 overs that cost him 175 runs. India went on to win the match by an innings and 144 runs.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar is responsible for bowling the most expensive figures in ODI cricket at this ground. In 2017, in a match against New Zealand, he conceded 92 runs from his 10 overs.
Is It Worth Visiting This Stadium?
If you are after a cricketing experience that you won’t be able to find elsewhere, then you really must go watch a game at this stadium if one is scheduled to be played while you are staying in Kanpur. You will not regret spending money on such an event. Unfortunately, like a lot of cricket grounds in India, it is not open to the public when matches are not being played.
However, you might be able to get a quick look inside if you ask somebody who works there. You never know, you might be lucky enough to find a kind man who will be more than happy to show you inside for five minutes or so. Kanpur has moderate temperature throughout the whole year, but July through to December are often the more pleasant months. Visiting this stadium during this time period will enable you to have the best overall experience.
How Can You Get There?
Whereas many of the cricket stadiums in India are easy to get to using public transport, it doesn’t seem to be the case for Green Park Stadium. In fact, the closest railway station is 5km away, and it doesn’t look like there are buses that go to the stadium either. So, if you don’t like walking, you will need to hire a cab to take you there. Once you have ticked this stadium off of your to-do list, there are plenty of other things that you must make an effort to see and visit in this city. For example, there is the Anandeshwar Temple, the Shri Radhakrishna Temple, the Allen Forest Zoo, the Kanpur Memorial Church, the Kanpur Zoological Park, and Moti Jheel.
If you are worried about accommodation, there is no need to be as there are plenty of great hotel options that you can choose from. No matter what your style or budget is, you will be able to find a hotel that suits you perfectly.