M. Chinnaswamy stadium may not have the aura of the Lord's or the imposing nature of Eden Gardens, but ever since it was given Test status in 1974-75, this prominent landmark in Bengaluru has witnessed some of the finest moments in the history of cricket.

This stadium has shown the propensity to ignite great careers and host feats that are more than statistics for any cricket fan. A skinny Antiguan lad with a Roman nose and a lanky, bespectacled Barbadian made their debut in the first Test played at this venue; the illustrious careers of West Indies greats Sir Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge began at this very venue.

But they were not the only ones - the ground has seen names like GR Viswanath, BS Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna and modern-day giants like Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble hone their skills. Dravid's unflappable technique against short-pitched balls has its roots in the countless hours he spent on the concrete steps of Chinnaswamy stadium, facing steep, rising deliveries.

Sunil Gavaskar perhaps played the most memorable knock of his career here and that too in his final Test appearance. His swansong innings of 96 in 1987 against Pakistan on a minefield of a surface is still remembered around the world with awe for its technical perfection and sheer mental precision.

The stadium was refurbished in 1996 but its ability to produce electrifying moments remained intact even after the renovation. The face-off between Venkatesh Prasad and Aamir Sohail in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final between India and Pakistan is one of the modern game's most dramatic moments.