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Norton Frederick and Stanley Jayasinghe – the star
bowlers:
Tissera leads Ceylon to 4-wkt win over Pataudi’s Indian team
By A.C. De Silva
FLASHBACK: The dawn of 1965 brought happy cricket tidings for Sri
Lanka on their tour of India. The match that thrilled all Lankans was
the ‘third 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 heavy
rain. However, on the scheduled second-day, the rain kept away and play
was possible after tea interval at 3.20 p.m.
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All the best ....Indian skipper the Nawab of Pataudi (right) wishes all
the best to Ceylon skipper Michael Tissera after the toss at
the third cricket Test at the Sardar Patel Stadium in
Ahmedabad. Indian skipper Nawab of Pataudi won the toss and
batted. Ceylon won the match by four wickets. |
A bold declaration made by Ceylon skipper Michael Tissera enabled
Ceylon (as the country was then known before we obtained official Test
status) scored a thrilling four-wicket win over India on a rain-affected
match.
Surprise decision by Pataudi
The Indian skipper, the Nawab of Pataudi (junior) 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 drawn for the day after 90
minutes of actual play.
Norton Frederick, the Ceylonese paceman played havoc with the Indian
batsmen in a fine spell of spirited bowling, changing pace and direction
most shrewdly, claimed all three wickets for 30 runs only. India opened
with elegant stroke-maker Dilip Sardesai and debonair Farook Engineer.
However the good passage did not last long and India lost the first
wicket at 24 when Engineer trying to cut a ball moving away from
Frederick, was easily held by Polonowita at third slip. Then 12 runs
later at 36, Sardesai shaping for a push to leg, edged a catch to Ceylon
skipper Tissera at silly mid-off. Then a run later, Abbas Ali Baig also
made his exit, caught behind the wicket by ‘keeper’ Fernando off
Frederick.
Later skipper Pataudi and Hanumant Singh got together and were able
to keep their wickets intact at the end of the day. India were 51 for 3
wickets.
Jayasinghe and Frederick play havoc
Came Monday morning – the third day and India’s recognised batsmen
failed miserably against the inspired and accurate bowling of Ceylon’s
paceman Norton Frederick and that fine allrounder Stanley Jayasinghe.
The wicket somewhat turned out to be sporting and was helping the
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 Indian Test
‘cap’ Ramesh Saxena rose to the occasion and stopped the slide for a
while. Saxena rose to the occasion to remain 63 not out. India were all
out for 189. Frederick had 4 for 85 and Stanley Jayasinghe took 6 for
38.
Ceylon batted and did not fare well and wickets tumbled at regular
intervals and their earlier jubilation of getting the Indians out below
the 200-run mark, vanished as the Indian bowlers held sway. Ceylon were
all out for 141.
The new Test caps in the Indian team Kulkarni (4 for 43) and Bhaskar
(2 for 35) ran riot. After skipper Michael Tissera made 28, it was left
to the tail-enders Anura Ponowitta (53) and wicket-keeper batsman H.I.K.
Fernando (38 not out) saved the day somewhat for Ceylon.
Came India’s second innings and it was disaster all the way. India
were bundled out for a paltry 66 runs in their second innings. Four
Indian wickets fell for 20 runs and the balance six wickets fell for 46
runs. Norton Frederick took 3 for 24 for a match-bag of 7 for 109
runswhile the other mediam pacer stanley Jayasinghe had a bag of 9 for
52. So, Ceylon had to collect 112 runs for victory in the Test and they
had ample time to achieve their goal. Ceylon’s openers Abu Fuard (40)
and Mano Ponniash (22) put on 41 runs for their opening partnership and
thereafter Stanley Jayasinghe (19) and skipper Michael Tissera (15 not
out) had to weather a storm after a middle-order batting collapse.
After the second wicket – that of Lasantha Rodrigo (run out) came at
77, Ceylon lost six of their best batsmen and once again the game had
taken a dramatic, intriguing turn. But calm and collected skipper
Tissera and Polonowita were there to see Ceylon through to victory with
four wickets to spare, getting to 115 for 6 wickets.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA – 1ST INNINGS
D.N. Sardesai c Tissera b Fredrick 09
F.M. Engineer c Polonowita b Frederick 17
A.A. Baig c Fernando b Frederick 10
Hanumant Singh ibw b Jayasinghe 30
Nawab of Pataudi c Fernando b Frederick 28
R. Saxena not out 63
A. Roy c Polonowita b Jayasinghe 03
S. Venkatraghavan c & b Jayasinghe 13
U.M. Kulkarni b Jayasinghe 00
C.K. Bhaskar st. Fernando b Jayasinghe 08
R. Goel lbw b Jayasinghe 00
EXTRAS 08
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 06
C.E.M. Ponniah b Kulkarni 08
L. Rodrigo c Saxeno b Kulkarni 00
S. Jayasinghe b Baskar 03
M.H. Tissera c Ambar Roy b Kulkarni 28
N. Chanmugam c Hanumant b Baskar 00
A. Polonowita b Venkatraghavan 53
H.I.K. Fernando not out 38
D.W.L. Lieversz not out 00
EXTRAS 05
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 00
F.M. Engineer c Fernando b Jayasinghe 02
A.A. Baig b Lieversz 04
Hanumant Singh lbw b Frederick 00
Nawab of Pataudi c Polonowita b Frederick 08
R. Saxena b Polonowita 12
A. Roy lbw b Jayasinghe 16
S. Venkatraghavan st. Fernando b Polonowita 04
U.M. Kulkarni b Jayasinghe 01
C.K. Bhaskar c Fernando b Polonowita 05
R. Goel not out 01
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 09
S. Jayasinghe b R. Goel 19
M.H. Tissera not out 15
N. Chanmugam c Pataudi b R. Goel 00
H.I.K. Fernando b R. Goel 00
A. Polonowita not out 03
EXTRAS 07
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 |
