Cricket History - India's First Test Win In England In 1971
Indian Cricket History By Abhishek Mukhejee - India Tour OF England 1971
India created history by winning their first ever Test match and series in England on the 1971 tour.
Towards the end of the 1960s, the new selection committee – headed by Vijay Merchant – brought several changes to the Indian squad. They drafted in young talents. While some of them faded out, some – like Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, and Mohinder Amarnath – went on to have long careers for India.
The other major decision was the appointment of Ajit Wadekar as captain ahead of the twin tours of West Indies and England in 1971. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who had led India throughout the 1960s, was sacked. Wadekar wanted Pataudi on both tours, but Pataudi opted out.
India won their first ever Test match against West Indies at Port-of-Spain. They won the series 1-0. Gavaskar scored 774 runs (still a world record for anyone in their debut series), while Dilip Sardesai got 642. Bishan Bedi, EAS Prasanna, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan shared 48 wickets.
Despite the enormity of the achievement, one must remember that West Indies were passing through a transition phase at this point, when they did not win a Test series between 1966 and 1973.
The England series, on the other hand, was another matter. At this point England were the best team in the world. They had been unbeaten in their last 24 Test matches. They had recently won 2-0 in Australia. West Indies were having a poor run. South Africa were banned. And just before the series against India, England had beaten Pakistan at home.
One must remember that India had never won a Test match, let alone a series, in England until then. They had lost all six series. Of the 19 Test matches, they had drawn 4 and lost 15.
Col. Hemu Adhikari, who had toured England on the disastrous 1952 tour, was the manager in 1971. Fred Trueman, who had tormented India in 1952 (and 1959), greeted Adhikari with the words "glad to see, Colonel, that you ve got your colour back."
Adhikari decided to give it back. He put extra emphasis on fielding, pushing the Indians. As a result, India had an excellent cohort of close-in fielders, in Wadekar, Gavaskar, Venkat, and Eknath Solkar. Together with Farokh Engineer behind the stumps, they played pivotal role in helping India script history on that tour.
India created history by winning their first ever Test match – and series – in England on the 1971 tour. They had an excellent outing. Of their 19 matches, they won 7, drew 11, and lost just 1. Two of India's wins – against Leicestershire and Warwickshire – were by an innings.
Ajit Wadekar and Sunil Gavaskar both crossed the 1,000-run mark, while Gundappa Viswanath got 946. The four Indian spinners shared 197 wickets, in which the close-in fielders played key roles. Farokh Engineer, released by Lancashire for the Test matches, was excellent on either side of the stumps. And unlike many of their early tours, almost none of them picked up a major injury.
It had started with a rain-hit Test match at Lord's. India needed to chase 183 on the last day. They were 21/2 when Engineer pushed a ball from John Snow towards mid-wicket, and he and Gavaskar set off for a single.
The six-foot-six Snow then crashed into the five-foot-five Gavaskar. There was no serious harm, but Gavaskar fell on the ground, and his bat flew away. As both got up, Snow picked up the bat and threw it to Gavaskar.
At lunch, Snow apologised to Alec Bedser, the Chairman of Selectors; Mike Griffith, Board Secretary; and Gavaskar. However, he was dropped from the second Test match, at Old Trafford. He returned for the decider, at The Oval. Once back, he bowled a searing bouncer that tore the chain off Gavaskar's neck.
Meanwhile, Gavaskar and Engineer added 66 in 50 minutes for the third wicket. India needed only 96 with 8 wickets in hand, but the Indian middle-order collapsed. India were 145/8 when rain stopped further play.
England dominated the second Test match as well. This time rain came when India, chasing 420, were on 65/3 on Day 4. The entire fifth day was washed out. Peter Lever, who replaced Snow, scored 88 and took 5/70 in the first innings, that too in his home ground.
It rained in India's next two matches too, against Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. Then they came to The Oval, where history was created.
India pulled off a historic win in the Third Test at The Oval by 4 wickets after being 71 behind on first innings. They bowled England out for only 101 in the second innings with Bhagwat Chandrasekhar claiming 6–38.
The scoreline read 0-0 ahead of the final Test match of the 1971 series. At The Oval, England scored 355, then bowled out India for 284. They were 24/1 in the second innings in the first session of Day 4.
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar was bowling to John Edrich. One of his teammates asked him to bowl the Mill Reef, his famous faster delivery. Chandra did, and Edrich was bowled even before his bat came down. He got Keith Fletcher with the next ball, and it was lunch.
It was Ganesh Chaturthi, and the Indian fans had rented Bella, a baby elephant, from the Chessington Zoo. She walked around The Oval at lunch. And when play resumed, England were bowled out for 101. Chandra finished with 6/38, one of the most famous spells by an Indian.
However, the most famous England wicket fell at the other end, off Srinivas Venkataraghavan. The photograph of Eknath Solkar, having caught Alan Knott at short leg and lying fully stretched on the ground, has attained iconic status.
India still needed 174. At stumps they were 76/2, but they lost Ajit Wadekar before another run was scored next morning. However, Dilip Sardesai, Gundappa Viswanath, and Farokh Engineer pushed India to a four-wicket win.
Wadekar was asleep in the dressing-room when Abid Ali scored the winning runs. England manager Ken Barrington had to wake him up to congratulate him!
Back home, there were unprecedented celebrations. People walked out on to the streets and got on to moving buses to congratulate strangers. Some of them had memories of the British Raj in India. For them, a team of Indians beating England at their game in their country was a tremendous achievement.
It was a moment no less significant than the 1948 Olympic Games, when India beat England 4-0 in the final to win the gold medal at London a year after Independence.
There was no television coverage of the match in India, but children garlanded the radio sets. Cash prizes were announced. At Nehru Stadium, Indore, they constructed an enormous concrete bat with names of the Indian cricketers on the tours of West Indies and England.