PCA Stadium, Mohali
The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium (PCA) at Mohali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, can accommodate 40,000 fans and former BCCI chief Inderjit Singh Bindra, now the ICC’s chief advisor, has ensured the ground is well maintained.
PCA Stadium is perhaps one of the best-equipped stadia in India, and also one of the youngest, beginning serious cricket in 1992.
The first team to play here were the Courtney Walsh-led West Indies, and since then, Mohali has hosted many sides, not least of them Pakistan.
The stadium is built like a five-star hotel, and the complex also encompasses residential section. The ground, one of the biggest in India, has been modelled on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The lush green ground was a fielder’s delight. The pitches, at least in their initial shape, were the fastest in India, as the home team found out in that very first Test.
The facilities in and around the stadium make it possibly India’s best cricket venue and visiting teams especially like the bounce on offer.
A regular international venue, the Mohali stadium is ready to host three matches, including a semi-final between India and Pakistan. It hosted the Australia vs West Indies World Cup semi-final in 1996.
Tags: Chandigarh, Cricket, Inderjit Singh Bindra, India, Mohali, Pakistan, PCA Stadium, Punjab Cricket Association, World Cup
