Great India-Australia Tests

The India-Australia Test series is now the greatest rivalry in world cricket. We feature the greatest Tests involving the two teams, in India - from 1959 to now:

Kanpur 1959

Just before coming over to Green Park for the second Test, Australia had wrapped up the first Test at New Delhi by an innings and 127 runs with a day to spare. They had won 12 of the previous 17 Tests and lost none whereas India had lost 11 of the previous 14 Tests and won none. There seemed no point in holding a match between such unequals.

And yet within a week after the debacle at the Ferozshah Kotla grounds India had turned the tables on the formidable Aussies by winning the second Test by 119 runs.

It was the first defeat Australia had suffered in ten Tests under the captaincy of the shrewd strategist Richie Benaud.

The storybook finish was largely scripted by Jasu Patel, the 35-year-old off spinner making a comeback.

With figures of nine for 69 and five for 55 he set a new record for innings and match figures by an Indian in Tests.

He was well supported in the second innings by Polly Umrigar, who took four for 27. There were batting heroes too in Nari Contractor, Chandu Borde, Abbas Ali Baig, Bapu Nadkarni and Ramnath Kenny, while Gulabrai Ramchand led the side with confidence.


In Image: Ferozshah Kotla ground (inset Polly Umrigar)

Text: Partab Ramchand

Images: AP/AFP