Australia's Alan Davidson has an enduring place in cricket's history

by A.C. de Silva

Great cricketers of the past... Alan Davidson, like Neil Harvey, 'called it a day' sometime back as the duo played together for Australia for the last time in the fifth and last Test at Sydney. Benaud and the rest of the Australian cricketers rightly stopped aside and allowed Harvey and Davidson to go in front and into the pavilion while the spectators gave them a standing ovation. It was a fitting tribute to the two cricketers who have done yeomen service for Australia.

Like Harvey, Davidson came to India with both the Australian teams of 1956 and 1959-60. But unlike Harvey, Davidson left the country on his first visit almost nameless; in fact he came to India with a poor record in England, he played in the two Tests he had played in that country.

In India, he played in the Second Test at Bombay and secured only Tampane's wicket at a cost of 42 runs. But in truth, Davidson, having chipped an ankle-bone in the first test at Nottingham, was never really fit. All the same in the manner of his bowling as all saw it on the Brabourne wicket even then, it was possible to appreciate and assess his potential for greatness.

Great bowling by Davidson

It was indeed great bowling by Davidson in that memorable second Test at Kanpur in the 1959-60 series, made more memorable by India's first win over Australia, achieved through fantastic bowling by Jasu Patel, who took nine wickets in the first innings and followed it up with five more in the second.

Davidson, in that match, took 12 wickets, five for 31 in the first innings and seven for 93 in the second. It was a match-winning performance, yet Australia were humbled and India had a historic win by 119 runs.

India won the toss and took first knock on a grassless wicket. Davidson and Meckiff-another left-arm bowler, began Australia's attack. Davidson continued while Benaud effected changes at his opposite end. The early wickets, those of Roy and contractor, fell to Benaud, and Umrigar was caught by Davidson off Kline.

From this point it was Davidson's bowling that mattered. He bowled Baig, to begin with, and finished with innings by having Patel caught by Kline. India were all out for 152.

India get great victory

Australia replied with 219, Patel with nine for 69 being unplayable. The Indian batsmen found their touch in the second innings and made 291. But it was Davidson's superb bowling that restricted the total. He kept one end going, bowling 57.3 overs of which 22 were maidens and took seven wickets for 93 runs.

Australia had thus to get only 224 runs for a win, a task which was well within their capacity and skill. But Patel again and Umrigar bundled them out for 105 runs to give India a great victory. Davidson might have understandably felt disappointed as, despite his wonderful effort, Australia were defeated.

Davidson was perhaps one of the world's most outstanding left-arm fast medium bowlers. During his days he was unquestionaly the foremost of his class. Nature had endowed him with a powerful physique, so necessary for generating speed; he was so strong as an ex and possessed the stamina of a horse. When running up to the bowling crease from some twenty paces, he appreciated it with the easy rhythm of a middle distance runner.

Most of the time Davidson bowled over the wicket and had such splendid control over the scoring that he moved the ball either way, but mostly from the leg stump to the off. He often surprised batsmen by bringing the ball in.

He was one of these bowlers who knew the art of using the bowling crease, as that he was still a wicket-taker even after the ball had lost its shine. His manner and methods of bowling belonged to pure art.

Davidson great striker of ball

His usefulness to the team did not end with his bowling. He was a gifted striker of the ball and has played a number of valuable innings for Australia. One of the most famous of his knocks was his 77 not out in the Manchester Test in 1961 when, in one over of Allen, he hit the bowler for two 6's and two 4's and so changed the complexion of the game that Australia, instead of being defeated, won the match.

The last but not least, he was such a magnificent fieldsman, especially in the slips, that he was nicknamed "The Claw" by Hutton and Company in the 1954 series. If a catch went up even a few inches from the ground, Davidson was upon it like a kingfisher snooping down on a small fish that comes to the surface of the water for a split second, to see how bright the world was!

Thus on the second tour, Davidson rose to dizzy heights and with 29 wickets, average 15.17 in the Test matches, he left the Indian shores with his reputation established as his country's leading bowler.

Now with a bag of 188 wickets for 3,328 runs (average 17.89) in 44 Tests matches, he has left the arena to the acclaim of the cricketing world. His name in the game's history is secure.