India's 1983 team faced hostile crowd during Srinagar match
India faced hostile crowd and pitch vandalism during their first match at Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in 1983.
India played their first international match at Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar on October 13, 1983, three months after winning the World Cup. The team faced a hostile crowd that chanted slogans against India and threw stones and bottles.
Kirti Azad recalled that 12 men were arrested for digging the pitch during lunch. The match against Clive Lloyd's West Indies was the ground's first international fixture after the stadium opened three months earlier.
Dilip Vengsarkar said the game was the most forgettable match of his career because the crowd was against India instead of supporting the team as expected.
CricHubb Take
The 1983 Srinagar match shows how political tensions can turn cricket venues into stages for protest, regardless of the team's recent World Cup success.