Delhi's maidan story

Each metro is known for its unique playfield where hundreds of young boys freely indulge in their sporting interests. If Mumbai has the Azad Maidan where over 20 cricket matches are held simultaneously, Kolkata's Maidan that stretches 3 km in length has been a witness to several football and cricket matches in the past. Similarly, Delhi, too, had its share of fields where cricket was played at all levels and they catered to the needs of aspiring cricketers.

If the Azad Maidan witnessed history in the 1980s in the form of a record 664-run partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli during the Harris Shield inter-school match, Delhi's several grounds had seen some top-class batting and bowling feats in the past.

Old grounds untraceable
Till late 1980s (before it was stopped for security reasons) the sprawling India Gate lawns were used by hundreds of children to enjoy the game of cricket and football. Madras Cricket Club which produced several Ranji Trophy players in the past, used to have its nets at the India Gate lawns. Besides the club members, youngsters happily played cricket wherever they could set up a makeshift pitch on the spacious ground.

Other than the vast India Gate ground, Delhi had over a dozen playfields where cricketers could practise and play matches. Unfortunately, the rapid urbanisation has meant that the open fields have now vanished and huge structures come up in their place. Cricket in those days was played anywhere on empty spaces not yet taken over for progress and development. Some of the old grounds are untraceable today. The magic that created some of the legends has remained in memory only.

There was a time till mid-1970s when Delhi had over a dozen grounds where cricketers belonging to various clubs had the opportunity to tone their skills. President's Estate ground, DTC ground near Ferozesah Kotla, the old Hindu College ground (where the ISBT now stands in Kashmire Gate), backside of Red Fort - Bela Road (where government school children used to play), Press ground on Minto Road, Ajmal Khan Park, DCM Ramlila ground, Ramjas complex, Polo ground near Delhi University, Army Headquarters ground (near Race Course), Kalindi College, Pusa Institute, Tibbia College (Karol Bagh), Corporation ground (opposite Old Delhi Railway station), Paharganj ground (near Karnail Singh stadium) were several playfields where a generation of the city's batsmen took guard against some of the best bowlers of the bygone era. Almost all these grounds have vanished.

Even the Hindu College ground in North Campus where the popular Goswami Ganesh Dutt tournament used to be conducted is no more available to conduct matches.

They had many stories to tell
It is a shame because cricket is part of India's national identity and old grounds had so many stories to tell. Before the advent of Palam Air Force ground (near domestic airport) in the 1980s, Services teams played their Ranji games at the Army Headquarters ground, on Race Course Road. Star cricketers including Hemu Adhikari, Surendranath, Bal Dani, Gokul Inder Dev, P G Joshi, A N Muddiah and A K Sen Gupta had memorable feats to their credit on this very ground.

Ajmal Khan Park in Karol Bagh used to be the place for practice sessions of leading clubs of the capital, Sonnet and Rohtak Road Gymkhana. Since it was a multi-purpose park, club members had to wait till others vacated the place before they could use it. Surender Khanna, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Sharma, Raman Lamba, Sanjeev Sharma and others started their cricket from this place in the 1970s. The place was later taken over for basketball matches conducted by the Delhi Basketball Association. ``We used to pitch half mats on the vacant space and practised for hours,'' recalls Prabhakar.

One of the city's premier clubs, Subhania, used to practise at the Paharganj ground near the Karnail Singh stadium. There is no sign of the ground now as several buildings have emerged at the very place. Talkatora ground is among the surviving venues where Delhi Gymkhana still continues to have its nets. Dilbagh Singh (who played for J-K in Ranji) is still a member of the club and played in the DDCA league for over four decades. Perhaps, a record of sorts in domestic cricket!

Roshanara Club ground still charms
The Roshanara Cub ground, the very venue where the BCCI was founded in 1927-28 and has seen the likes of Jack Hobbs, Duleepsinhji, Herbert Sutcliff, Frank Worrell, C K Nayudu, Amar Singh, Wazir Ali, Polly Umrigar, N S Tamhane, Madhav Mantri, Vizzy, etc, is still active with a number of Delhi's Ranji matches being played at the picturesque ground.

Old timers recall so many matches and tournaments conducted at the President's Estate ground near Rashtrapati Bhavan. That has also gone into history. Former Delhi and Bihar cricketer Hari Gidwani remembers the years when he represented Delhi Colts in the Mayor Shield tournament for 3-4 years during the 1970s when they were held at President's Estate ground. ``That was not a well-maintained ground. But those days we never hesitated to play on any surface. We just wanted to play matches,'' Gidwani, who is a Delhi Ranji selector now reminices.

In the last two decades, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has developed sports complexes in several parts of the city. Several games, including cricket, are played in those grounds. Siri Fort, Yamuna Sports Complex and Saket sports complex are a few of DDA-owned areas where cricket coaching is being undertaken. Sports Authority of India's cricket venues (National Stadium, I G Stadium, Nehru Stadium) still remain as coaching centres. But with the increase in the number of children taking to cricket in a big way and seeing the popularity of the willow game, these are too little in number to cater to their needs.

It is a pity that the parent association's ground - Ferozeshah Kotla - is not available for the clubs either for their practice or conducting tournaments. They are either reserved for Ranji matches or the IPL games. "Nowadays, it is a luxury to play matches at the Kotla because they are not available for youngsters,'' laments West Delhi academy coach Raj Kumar Sharma. ``Now, we have to do with whatever space is available,'' he adds.

Delhi University, which used to provide its ground for DDCA league matches and for some private tournaments, has stopped that practice now after the ground was renovated for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Now, cricket is hardly played there.

Schools, academies share revenue
Now several academies that have sprung up at different places and private clubs have adopted school grounds and maintain them as first-class facilities. It suits the cash-strapped sports wings of the institutions which welcome such interventions. Clubs/academies and institutions share the revenue. It suits them both.

The Vikaspuri Coaching Centre, run by Amar Nath Sharma, better known as Virender Sehwag's coach, at the Government School in the area, too, has survived despite pressure from the authorities a few years ago to move it away from the location. Besides Sehwag, the centre has produced a few other Ranji players including Pradeep Sangwan and Mayank Tehlan besides a number in the junior age group.

Despite limited number of grounds available at their disposal and the pressure of tough competition and financial difficulties, it is the dedication and passion for the game that has kept most coaches and the nurseries they run kept going all these years.