India's 25th Test brought its first win
By A.C. de Silva
CRICKET: To get the first victory in Test cricket is what
every cricket playing country yearns for because that first win is bound
to spur the team to better deeds in the future. So, this was the case as
India was concerned. So they waited patiently and their moment of joy
came in the 25th official Test when they met England in the 1951-52
series in Chepauk, Madras.
In that memorable game for India, England batted first and made 266
in the first innings and 183 in their second turn. India struck up that
good first innings total of 457 for 9 wickets declared.
For England J.D.B. Robertson had two fine half-century knocks. What
spurred up the Indian team in their victory charge was the fine batting
of five of their top cricketers - Pankaj Roy, Polly Umrigar, D.G.
Phadkar and bowlers Vinoo Mankad and Ghulam Ahmed.
If there was one cricketer to be singled out in this game, he was
undoubtedly that fine allrounder Vinoo Mankad. It was Mankad's bowling
that really tilted the match in favour of the Indians. He had a record
haul of 12 wickets in the match, getting 8 for 55 in England's first
innings and then when the England batsmen were facing an innings defeat,
Mankad it was who caused their downfall with a haul of 4 for 53 and
Ghulam Ahmed got inspiration from Mankad and Ahmed too came in for
wickets - 4 for 77 for bring victory India's way.
Mankad was an allrounder of immense talent and he had the unique
distinction of being perhaps the only cricketer to have batted at every
slot, from number one to ten in first-class cricket. In this Test,
Mankad made just 22, but it was his bowling that tilted the scales in
favour of the Indians.
Recipient of the President's Award for his outstanding contribution
to cricket in India, Mankad had played for his country as the first
choir in England, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka too.
Mankad was here in 1945 as a member of the Indian team on its first
tour of the country under the leadership of Vijay merchant. Mankad gave
the Sri Lankan crowd a glimpse of his bowling greatness. This was long
before Sri Lanka thought of Test cricket and at the Saravanamuttu
Stadium - then known as the Colombo Oval, in a three-day game, Mankad
bowled with utmost accuracy and claimed 8 for 35 off 21.3 overs to
destroy Sri Lanka for 107 runs.
India made 179 in their first innings. In the second innings, Sri
Lanka were saved from defeat with a fine century by S. Sathasivam.
In their victory march against England, in batting it was Pankaj Roy
the opener and Polly Umrigar who made centuries and pushed India to get
on top of their Test. Roy made 111 and Umrigar 130 not out and to give
further push in the batting, there was D.G. Phadkar who made 61 to push
the Indians to 457 for 9 wickets and then the innings was closed.
Pankaj Roy was sometimes erratic in his performances. He was an
opening batsman and had periods of success interspersed with those of
failure. He had a successful debut against England at home in 1952.
Ghulam Ahmed who captured 4 for 77 in the England second innings
total of 183, gave sound back-up support to Mankad when the Indians
pushed for victory in that memorable game that brought up India's
inaugural win in Test cricket.
Polly Umrigar's fine unbeaten knock of 130 runs contributed in no
small measure to India's victory against England in this match. He gave
the necessary punch to the batting and helped India's cause.
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS
F.A. Lowson b Phadkar 1
R.T. Spooner c Phadkar b Hazare 66
T.W. Graveney St. Sen b Mankad 39
J.D.B. Robertson c and b Mankad 77
A.J. Watkins c Gopinath b Mankad 9
C.J. Poole b Mankad 15
D.B. Parr St. Sen b Mankad 40
M.J. Hilton St. Sen b Mankad 0
J.B. Statham St. Sen b Mankad 6
F. Ridgway l.b.w. b Mankad 0
R. Tattesall not out 2
EXTRAS (B 4, lb 4, NB 3) 11
TOTAL: 266
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-3, 2-71, 3-131, 4-174,
5-197, 6-244, 7-252, 8-261, 9-261.
BOWLING: D.G. Phadkar 16-2-49-1; R.V. Divecha 12-2-27-0;
L. Amarnath 27-6-56-0; Ghulam Ahmed 18-5-5-3-0;
V.M. Mankad 38.5-15-55-8; V.S. Hazare 10-5-15-1.
INDIA 1ST INNINGS
Mushtaz Ali St. Spooner b Parr 22
P. Roy c Watkins c Watkins b Tattersall 111
V.S. Hazare b Hilton 20
V.M. Mankad c Watkins b Carr 22
L. Amarnath c Spooner b Stalham 31
D.G. Phadkar b Hilton 61
P.R. Umrigar not out 130
C.D. Gopinath b Tattersal 35
R.V. Devecha c Spooner b Ridgway 12
P. Sen b Watkins 2
Ghulam Ahmed not out 1
EXTRAS (B 8, LB 2) 10
TOTAL (for 9 wkts dec) 457
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-53, 2-97, 3-157, 4-191, 5-217, 6-320, 7-413, 8-430, 9-448
BOWLING: J.B. Statham 19-3-54-1; F. Ridgway 17-2-47-1;
R. Taltersall 39-13-94-2; M.J. Hilton 40-9-100-2; D.B. Carr 19-2-84-2;
A.J. Watkins 14-1-50-1; J.D.B. Robertson 5-1-18-0.
ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS
F.A. Lowson c Mankad b Phadkar 7
R.T. Spooner lbw b Devecha 6
T.W. Graveney c Devecha b G. Ahmed 25
J.D.B. Robertson lbw b G. Ahmed 56
A.J. Watkins c and b Mankad 48
C.J. Poole c Devecha b G. Ahmed 3
D.B. Carr c Mankad b G. Ahmed 5
M.J. Hilton St. Sen b Mankad 15
J.B. Statham c Gopinath b Mankad 9
F. Ridgway b Mankad 0
R. Tattersall not out 0
EXTRAS: (B 7, LB 2) 9
TOTAL: 183
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12, 2-15, 3-68, 4-117, 5-135, 6-159, 7-159, 8-178, 9-178
BOWLING: D.G. Phadkar 9-2-17-1; R.V. Devecha 7-1-21-1; L. Amarnath 3-0-6-0;
Ghulam Ahmed 26-6-77-4; V.M. Mankad 30.5-9-53-4. |
