Green Park Stadium is an international cricket stadium in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, located in the Civil Lines area near the banks of the Ganga River. It is controlled by the Sports Department of Uttar Pradesh and is the home ground of the Uttar Pradesh cricket team — one of the few major Indian stadiums owned by a state government rather than a cricket association.
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Quick Facts
| Location | Civil Lines, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh |
| Established | 1945 |
| Formerly known as | Modi Stadium |
| Capacity | Reported between approximately 32,000 and 45,000 |
| Owner | Sports Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh |
| Home team | Uttar Pradesh cricket team |
| First Test | January 1952, India vs England |
| First ODI | 24 December 1986, India vs Sri Lanka |
| Nickname | “Billiards Table” |
History
Established in 1945, Green Park takes its name from a British woman, Madam Green, who used to practice horse riding at the site. It hosted its first Test match in January 1952 against England. The venue holds a special place in Indian cricket history as the site of India’s first-ever Test win over Australia, in December 1959, and later hosted India’s 500th Test match.
The pitch has historically favoured spin bowling, in contrast to its nickname “Billiards Table,” which instead refers to the flatness and pace of the surface in limited-overs cricket. Since 1957, India has lost only two Test matches at this venue, both to West Indies (1958 and 1983).
Notable Events
- December 1959 – India’s first-ever Test win against Australia.
- 1987 Cricket World Cup – Hosted a group match between West Indies and Sri Lanka.
- 1993 Hero Cup – Hosted the tournament’s opening match between India and Sri Lanka.
- India’s 100th Test win – achieved at this venue, against Sri Lanka, by an innings.
- 2000 – Sourav Ganguly took five wickets against Zimbabwe.
- 2021 – Shreyas Iyer scored a century on Test debut against New Zealand.
Records
- Highest ODI total: 337/7, India vs New Zealand (29 October 2017).
- Highest individual Test score: Faoud Bacchus (West Indies), 250, in the 1978–79 series.
- Most Test wickets at the venue: Kapil Dev, 25 wickets.
- Rohit Sharma is the only batsman to have scored two ODI centuries at Green Park.
Facilities and Layout
Green Park is unique among Indian grounds for having a dedicated students’ gallery and the world’s largest manually operated scoreboard, alongside modern video screens for international matches. Its two ends — the Mill Pavilion End and the Hostel End — are named after the nearby Elgin Mill and DAV College.
Access
The stadium is roughly 3.5 km from Kanpur Central railway station and is accessible via the Kanpur Metro’s Orange Line.
Related Stadiums
- Ekana Stadium, Lucknow — Uttar Pradesh’s newer, larger international venue.
- Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi — a fellow historic North Zone Test ground.
- Eden Gardens, Kolkata — another venue known for spin-friendly conditions and deep cricketing history.
- Nahar Singh Stadium, Faridabad — a fellow North Indian ground with a long domestic cricket legacy.
This article is written in a Wikipedia-style format for reference and general information purposes.
