Last week, I was at Chepauk for a delightful evening of cricket — Pakistan vs South Africa. The weather was warm but not blazing hot and what was more, the sea breeze set in early and flowed regularly through the stadium. That bit of improvement was done a decade or so ago but I could not help reflecting that had it not been for one man’s drive and vision, this stadium itself would have never materialised. And that was M.A. Chidambaram.
The third son of Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar was an industrialist and philanthropist and once Mayor of Madras, but sport was his passion. He is best remembered for his contribution to horse racing and cricket. MAC, as he was known to friends, became the president of the Madras Cricket Association at a crucial time. The 30-year lease of Chepauk, held by the Madras Cricket Club, was coming to an end in 1966 and it was up to him to make sure that the government made the MCA and not the MCC the lessee in future. This was logical, for the MCA represented the cricketing interests of clubs right across what was then Madras State, while the MCC was a private body with a limited membership. It was MAC’s influence, together with the tough negotiating skills of A.M.M. Arunachalam, then president of the MCC, that ensured matters came to a satisfactory conclusion. The MCA was given the lease of the grounds and permission to build a stadium, while the MCC also remained, occupying two acres of the leased land, with right to use the ground and also view the matches, when played, from its clubhouse.
Chepauk historically had no permanent structure, for temporary stands of casuarina, planks and rope would be put up each time there was a match. This worked well in the old days, but by the late 1960s, the demand for a stadium had gained ground. For almost a decade, Chepauk was abandoned for tournaments, action shifting to the Corporation Stadium. It was left to Chidambaram to bring it back.
