Norton Frederick and Stanley Jayasinghe - the star bowlers....:

Tissera's captaincy brings Ceylon sensational 4-wkt win

By A.C. De Silva

CRICKET: The dawn of a New Year - 1965 brought happy cricket tidings for Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, on their tour of India. The match was the third cricket Test actually played on January 3, 4 and 5 at the picturesque Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was a sensational match and a bold declaration by Ceylon captain Michael Tissera enabled the country to score a thrilling four-wicket win in the most intriguing match.

"On the first day (January 2) play was completely washed out by torrential rain never before seen at Ahmedabad at that time of the year. However, on January 3 - the scheduled second-day, the gloomy rain clouds completely vanished and glorious sunshine made play possible just after the tea interval at 3.20 p.m.

A bold declaration made by Ceylon Captain Michael tissera enabled Ceylon (as the country was then known before we obtained official Test status) scored a thrilling four-wicket win over India in a rain-affected match.

The Indian skipper, the Nawab of Pataudi had the first choice of the wicket when Ceylon Captain Tissera called incorrectly. But most surprisingly, Pataudi decided that India should bat first on a rain-soaked, drying wicket. But soon "Pat" must have regretted his decision as India started off disastrously losing 3 of their star batsmen for 51 runs only before stumps were called for the day after 90 minutes of actual play. Norton Frederick, the Ceylonese faceman played havoc with the Indian batsmen in a grand spell of spirited bowling, changing pace and direction most shrewdly, claimed all these Indian wickets for 30 runs only.

India opened with elegant stroke-maker Dilip Sardesai and debonair Farook Engineer, after making some entertaining strokes, mainly chops and hooks, tried to cut a ball moving away from his bat and was caught smartly by Polonowita at third slip off Fredrick. One wicket was down at 24. Then at 36, Sardesai, shaking for a push to leg, but the ball suddenly rose sharply and he was easily held by Ceylon skipper Tissera at silly mid-off. At 37 Abbas Ali Baig also made his exit, caught behind the wicket by Herbert Fernando off Fredrick.

Later skipper Pataudi and Hanumant Singh got together and managed to keep their wickets intact at the end of the day. India were then 51 for 3 wickets.

India's batting fail

Came Monday morning - the third-day and India's recognised batsmen failed miserably against he inspired and accurate of Ceylon's paceman, Frederick and that fine all-rounder Stanley Jayasinghe. Of course the sporting wicket was helping the bowlers a lot as none of the batsmen could not cope with the Ceylonese bowlers. After the departure of Pataudi for 28 and Hanumant Singh for 31 runs who had somewhat stopped the rot for a while the new Test cap Saxena rose to the occasion to remain 63 not out Fredrick took 4 for 85 and Jayasinghe captured 6 Indian wickets for 38 runs. Both bowlers had given a memorable performance and they were given a rousing reception from the big crowd present. India were all out for an unimpressive total of 189 runs.

The Ceylon team was jubilant,but when it came for them to bat, the Ceylonese batsmen fared poorly. The new Test caps in the Indian team Kulkarni and Bhaskar ran riot with the ball and captured the first five Ceylon wickets at a total cost of 25 runs. Kulkarni was the chief destroyer and he took four wickets. The Ceylonese batsmen were all at sea and they could not judge correctly Kulkarni's pace and swing bowling.

Stubborn batting

The position for the Ceylonese would have been worse had it not been for the most stubborn batting of wicket-keeper Herbert Fernando - the Vice-Captain and back-to-the-wall great effort of Polonowita. Fernando made 38 not out and Polonowita 53. At the day's end, however, Ceylon had collected 141 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Kulkarni returned the very enviable bowling figures of 4 for 43 and Bhaskar had 2 or 35. Spinner Venkatraghavan took 1 for 34.

Tuesday, January 5, proved to be the most dramatic. The great drama started when Ceylon skipper Michael Tissera, after making a true and most amassing assessment of the dew-drenched wicket, made a bold declaration of Ceylon's first innings at the overnight total of 141 for 7 wickets and compelled India to bat for the second time.

India's troubles soon began again and four batsmen were back in the pavilion for the most miserable score of 20 runs.

Ceylon's sturdy paceman Frederick struck again, along with his colleagues, Lieversz, Jayasinghe and Polonowita, from which India's batsmen never recovered.

It was a timid performance of the Indian batsmen. So mighty India were humbled for an unbelievable total of 66 runs! Tissera's master stroke of declaring Ceylon's first innings closed and putting India into bat on a dew drenched drying wicket had certainly paid rich dividends. Fortune had no doubt favoured the brave!

Target 112 runs

Ceylon had to collect 112 runs only to win the third Test and they had ample time to achieve their goal.

Ceylon's opening fair, Fuard and Ponniah, started off in the most confident and methodical manner. Ponniah, however, was the first to go -stumped brilliantly by Engineer off Venkatraghavan for 22. Ceylon's opening pair had laid a good and sure foundation collecting 41 runs.

Then came the dramatic running out of Rodrigo and Ceylon had lost two wickets for 77 runs. However, Ceylon's dashing all-rounder Stanley Jayasinghe, livened up things by hooking, pulling and stealing cheeky singles before he was bowled by a ball by left-arm spinner Rajinder Goel which kept low. But Jayasinghe had collected 19 valuable runs in quick time.

Just when things looked like smooth sailing for Ceylon. Goel in a deadly spell captured 3 quick wickets all at Ceylon's total at 98 - that's fourth, fifth and sixth which sent the large crowd in ruptures.

Ceylon had lost six of their best batsmen and once again the game had taken a dramatic, intriguing turn. But clam and collected skipper Tissera and Polonowita managed to collect the remaining runs in a most quiet, business like manner to give Ceylon their first 'Test' victory against India.

Of the Indian bowlers, Rajinder Goel bowled well to take 4 for 33.

Altogether it was a most enjoyable Test match in which the bowlers certainly had the upper hand all the time. Another remarkable feature of this 'Test' was that it proved decisive in the actual playing time of 705 minuets only.

INDIA - 1ST INNINGS
D.N. Sardesai c Tissera b Fredrick           		 9
F.M. Engineer c Polonowita b Frederick        		17
A.A. Baig c Fernando b Frederick              		10
Hanumant Singh lbw b Jayasinghe              		30
Nawab of Pataudi c Fernando b Frederick       		28
R. Saxena not out                           		63
A. Roy c Polonowita b Jayasinghe              	         3
S. Venkatraghavan c & b Jayasinghe           		13
U.M. Kulkarni b Jayasinghe                    		 0
C.K. Bhaskar st. Fernando b Jayasinghe        		 8
R. Goel lbw b Jayasinghe                      		 0
EXTRAS                                  		 8
TOTAL                                 			189

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-24, 2-36, 3-37, 4-78, 5-114, 6-122, 7-166, 8-178,9-187.

BOWLING: D.W.L. Lieversz 18-5-43-0, 
	 N. Frederick 28-8-85-4, 
	 S. Jayasinghe 17.4-6-38-6, 
	 N. Chanmugam 4-0-14-0, 
	 A. Polonowita 1-0-1-0.

CEYLON - 1ST INNINGS
A. Fuard lbw b Kulkarni                       		  6
C.E.M. Ponniah b Kulkarni                     		  8
L. Rodrigo c Saxena b Kulkarni               		  0
S. Jayasinghe b Baskar                        		  3
M.H. Tissera c Ambar Roy b Kulkarni          		 28
N. Chanmugam c Hanumant b Baskar              		  0
A. Polonowita b Venkatraghavan               		 53
H.I.K. Fernando not out                      		 38
D.W.L. Lieversz not out                      		  0
EXTRAS                                  		  5
TOTAL (for 7 wkts., dec.)             		         141

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-13, 2-13, 3-16, 4-18, 5-25, 6-57, 7-141.

BOWLING: U.M. Kulkarni 13-2-43-4, 
	 C.K. Bhaskar 10-1-35-2, 
	 R. Goel 10-3-24-0, 
	 S. Venkatraghavan 12-2-34-1

       INDIA - 2ND INNINGS
D.N. Sardesai b Frederick                      		  0
F.M. Engineer c Fernando b Jayasinghe         		  2
A.A. Baig b Lieversz                          		  4
Hanumant Singh lbw b Frederick                 		  0
Nawab of Pataudi c Polonowita b Frederick      		  8
R. Saxena b Polonowita                       		 12
A. Roy lbw b Jayasinghe                      		 16
S. Venkatraghavan st. Fernando b Polonowita   		  4
U.M. Kulkarni b Jayasinghe                    		  1
C.K. Bhaskar c Fernando b Polonowita          		  5
R. Goel not out                               		  1
EXTRAS                                 			 13
TOTAL                                 			 66

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-20, 5-44, 6-46, 7-50, 8-51, 9-55.

BOWLING: D.W.L. Lieversz 5-2-8-1, 
	 N. Frederick 11-4-24-3, 
	 S. Jayasinghe 7-4-14-3, 
	 A. Polonowita 3.4-1-7-3.

CEYLON - 2ND INNINGS
A. Fuard b R. Goel                           		 40
C.E.M. Ponniah st. Engineer b Venkatraghavan 		 22
L. Rodrigo run out                           		  9
S. Jayasinghe b R. Goel                      		 19
M.H. Tissera not out                         		 15
N. Chanmugam c Pataudi b R. Goel              		   0
H.I.K. Fernando b R. Goel                     		   0
A. Polonowita not out                         		   3
EXTRAS                                  		   7
TOTAL (for 6 wkts)                       		 115

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-41, 2-77, 3-87, 4-98, 5-98, 6-98.

BOWLING: U.M. Kulkarni 11-4-18-0, 
	 C.K. Bhaskar 8-5-16-0, 
	 R. Goel 3.2-6-33-4, 
	 S. Venkatraghavan 18-5-34-1, 
	 Hanumant Singh 1-0-3-0, 
	 Ramesh Saxena 1-0-4-0.