50th anniversary today of India winning first Test and series on English soil
50 years ago on August 24th 1971, a historic day was written in the annals of Indian cricket. India registered it’s first ever triumph in a test match and series on English soil . Indian cricket had ultimately come of age. An abject blow was delivered to colonial domination in cricket .A sensation was exuded of overturning the British Empire. The sight of the10 English wickets going down like rolling pins, is the most memorable days in Indian sport, let alone cricket. Even if the target was a paltry 171 India made heavy weather of it, before, reaching home with 4 wickets in hand. It is hard to find an adjective that does true justice to the sheer euphoria in the crowds, as though anew epoch had been ushered. One could write a story of how almost every run scoring stroke in the chase elevated the pulse of the Indian crowds to a crescendo and the eventual jubilation which reached unprecedented proportions.
The anti-colonial fervour shimmered in the manner of an inferno erupting. spirit It was tribute to the powerhouse of talent in the spin bowling quartet of Bedi, Chandrashekar,Venkatraghavan and Prasaanna.The sheer craftiness of batsmen like Dilip Sardesai and Gundappa Vishwanath too played an invaluable role. The manner England collapsed like pack of cards was reminiscent of a building being razed to the floor. Rarely have batsmen ever looked as bemused as when facing Chandrashekar that day, as though he had set a trap to catch a bait. India had anxious moments in the run chase but still the manner of stroke execution looked as though a new spirit had been instilled in Indian cricket. Pertinent that this same English side had just conquered Australia in the Ashes a season ago ,and won against Pakistan ,of course being very fortunate. The challenge in England is negotiating the moving ball, which more than often caused the undoing of batsman.
In that period of cricket arguably never were team so close to each other and around 304 teams disputed the top spot. Both West Indies and Australian cricket was in decline and England had just triumphed in an Ashes series overseas. Overall it was a hard fought test series.
Indian cricket had possibly taken spin artistry to unconquered realms. Each spinner looked like a part of a plot in play.
In the 1st test at Lords India were robbed of victory after being on the verge of famous win. England were tottering at 71-5 in the 2nd innings before Alan Knott and John Snow performed a rescue act. In the end chasing a target of 183 runs India fell 38 runs adrift, with 2 wickets remaining. with rain putting the shutters on an enthralling climaxing
In the 2nd test at Old Trafford rain came to the rescue of India ,who were let to chase a target of 420 runs to win.
At the Oval inspite of India trailing England's 1st innings score of 355 by 71 runs, it put the tatterhooks on the English payers in the 2nd innings, like a bunch of daisies being mowed down. The bowling of Chandrashekar was virtual mystery that day, beyond the comprehension of the Englishman. Arguably India stets cricket accomplishments in 1971, were the best ever in history.
In the 2nd innings Venkat took a blinder to dismiss Brian Luckhurst. Chandra describes the dismissal: “It was a fastish leg-break on a good length, Luckhurst tried to cut the ball, got an edge and Venkataraghavan took a blinder of a catch. He snatched it left-handed when the ball was almost past him at great speed.” Keith Fletcher, a nervous starter at the best of times, walked into a vicious Chandra googly first up. The ball turned in as he stretched forward and off the bat and pad, dropped in front of him. But before the ball fell prey to the laws of gravity, Solkar dived onto the centre of the pitch and plucked the ball from the air an inch above the ground. Venkat took care of Basil D’Oliviera, Illingworth lobbed a catch back to Chandra off a fast full toss and John Snow followed in identical fashion. Bishan Bedi, introduced for just one over, dismissed the dogged Derek Underwood. When Chandra came back to pick up the final wicket of John Price, England had collapsed for 101. Chandrasekhar’s incredible bowling figures read a soon to be immortal 6 for 38.
Both the Indian openers, Sunil Gavaskar and Ashok Mankad, fell early in the chase and India went in to stumps with a mountain still to climb. The morrow, the team knew, would define the future of Indian cricket. Never in the past four decades had an Indian team been so close to that elusive first win in the land of its past colonial masters. The responsibility weighed heavy on the shoulders of 11 young men.
Sunny weather welcomed the final morning. It was also the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, and as a mark of respect to Lord Ganesh, an elephant from the London Zoo, decked in temple finery, had been brought to the ground before play started. But as far as the raucous Indian fans were concerned, the gods had already shown their hand through Chandra; now it was up to the batsmen to deliver the goods.
When Wadekar was run out, India was still 97 adrift from victory., with the boat still sailing in stormy waters. Sardesai came was joined by young Gundappa Vishwanath and the pair paved the path for an epic win. Derek Underwood, nicknamed ‘Deadly’ for his unplayability on pitches that gave any sort of assistance, then got Sardesai and Solkar in quick succession. However the time Luckhurst got rid of Vishwanath, edging to Alan Knott behind the stumps, it was all over bar the shouting.. Vishwanath and Farokh Engineer had taken India to 170, just three runs from the target.
The stand between Vishwanath and Sardesai ranks amongst the most memorable in a pair stitching the wounds, to enable a lotus to bloom. On a turning wicket both resembled surgeons.Vishwanath executed some of the most dazzling strokes, withstanding pressure in the manner of a soldier. Great Australian cricketer Keith Miller praised his effort.Dilip Sardesai was also a major architect of this win with his meticulous efforts of scoring 54 and 40.
After the winning stroke was struck crowds flocked onto the street s to burst crackers amidst the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Newscaster. The English crowds were so crestfallen ,that on leaving the ground thy looked as though they wee walking to a funeral.
After India crossed the line headlines came in the papers “The mighty empire falls to the brave Indians."
RENAISSANCE IN INDIAN CRICKET
Such a win was a major bolt to the ego of the British people, or their inherent colonial complex. It gave a major jolt to the myth of English superiority over Indians. It gave a major morale boost to the common man in India that India was now capable of overpowering any cricketing force. The victory thrashed the entire myth of English invincibility over India, in no untelling terms. India had earlier trounced England at home in 1963.
Earlier India were a bunch of most talented individuals, comprising cricketers who were truly world class or almost all-time greats like Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Merchant,Vijay Hazare ,Subhas Gupte,Nawab of Pataudi etc.However it was to the credit of Ajit Wadekar that he wove together a set of gifted individuals. This time it was not just about the rise of heroism of one cricketer like a meteor flashing but the emergence of a cohesive force like an army. It was ironic that just before Pakistan lost a series which the almost won on merit, with rain disrupting their fortunes in the 1st test at Edgbaston and coming to virtually a stone's throw of winning the 3rd test at Leeds In the past it was routine feature for India to salvage glory in defeat through outstanding performances by players like Vinoo Mankad or Nawab of Pataudi.Arguably never in the history of cricket did such a potent or lethal spin bowling attack ever exist, which could create the sensation of a n Alfred Hitchcock mystery. Above all they took cricketing art to its zenith. It is difficult to have an adjective to describe the sheer jubilation amongst the Indian immigrants, with such a win being manifestation of anti-racial or anti-colonial pride.Bhagawat Chandrashekar reminder you a spider creating a web ,who bemused the English batsmen like a magician.
A season ago India had made history winning their 1st series on West Indies soil. This time more than the batsmen it was the bowlers who came to the fore. In The Caribbean it was the run hungry star s like Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Sardesai who stole the show.
Sadly although being triumphant in a home series in 1972-73 India faced a humiliating defeat in the next series in England in 1974.Since 1971 India has only beaten England on their soil in 1986 and 2007 and drawn a series in 2002.At home India has been much more successful, wining in 1981-82, 1992-93,2002, 2017, and 2021.Only in 1984-85 and 2012-13 did England win series in India. Few teams were as evenly matched as India and England, with series victories mainly attained by veru slender margins, for the greater part of history. Sadly the tide turned with India's comprehensive defeats in England on the last 3 tours.
A match that above all comes to my memory is India's glorious fightback resurrecting from the deaths of despair, to come within a whisker of achieving a record target of 438 runs in the 4th innings, with Gavasakar scoring an epic 221.From the artistic point of c view or spirit of the game, memories always blaze of the 1982 series in England, where the likes of Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil were magnificient.At Lords in 1982 Kapil Dev took all-round cricketing skill to sublimical proportions, when scoring 130 runs and capturing 8 wickets.
India's defeats away and at home were classical examples of the importance of temperament and tenacity .Sheer over confidence or carefree approach possibly lost India home series against England in 1984-86 and 2012-13.
It is ironical that even after 1971 the story of Indian cricket overseas, was about the glory of individuals like Gavaskar,Kapil Dev ,Tendular etc till the advent of Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly,who enabled India to cross the victory barrier overseas.
In the earlier eras playing against England was often like waging a moral battle against racism. Who can forget the manner Indian immigrants were literally looked down .Having lived in England I can never forget how India crowds thronged at cricket stadiums to cheer India.
At junctures India ressurected that very spirit overseas on the day at Oval in 1971, when winning it’s first ever series in Australia in 2018-19 and then 2020-21,beat Pakistan in 2004 in Pakistan ,beat England in England in 1986 and 2007 .No doubt its Houdini act to win at Adelaide in 2003-04 ,with a 303 run partnership between Dravid and Laxman ,perhaps surpassed all, but India did not triumph in the series. It is now around 15 years since India has won a series in England, but currently in the present series it looks a very distinct probability.
Ofcourse today test cricket is not the same game and from a gentleman's sport has turned into a multi billion dollar business.
After 50 years of India’s inaugural triumph in England, India are strong contenders for test word championship status,inspite of gross inconsistency in the last 5 years,Inspite of compromising the greatest individual talent with the likes of Kohli,,Pujara Rahane,Bhumra etc India faltered in last away series in new Zealand and South Africa. In junctures like 208-11, India came close to being rated the best test side in the world, and earlier in 2004 gave World Champion Australia the greatest run for their money. Of course at home India was near invincible. However in the main even with a Tendulkar,Dravid,Dhoni.Ganguly or now Kohli,Bhumra,or Rahane India could not blossom into a consistently champion team. In many ways the story of Indian cricket after 1971 was similar to the times of the 1950’s and 60’s with a bunch of most talented individuals unable to turn into a world beating unit.
Ofcourse today test cricket is not the same game and from a gentleman's sport has turned into a multi billion dollar business India being successful today in cricket is a manifestation of the globalization era but cricket still is major idiom of the masses. Who can forget how almost everyone was glued with a pocket radio on his era, listening to the commentary. What could be more illustrative of the love for cricket or how much it is embedded in the Indian psyche when you see Azad Maidan in Bombay. Since Independence cricket has penetrated into the very fabric of Indian society.
Previously India had conquered West Indies on their soil but beating England in their country was more memorable, considering India was a British colony. There is no doubt that Indian teams were more powerful in later years, particularly in the last 2 decades. However in terms of pure achievement in test cricket. India reached it's pinnacle in 1971.
I give great credit to Ajit Wadekar for weaving this renaissance in Indian cricket, being master in untapping the potential of all the players and marshalling his troops. He brilliantly harnessed the likes of the spin quartet;Bedi ,Chandra,Prasanna nad Venkat. However I will always mention the name of Tiger Pataudi ,who sowed the seeds of the lotus to blossom, with his aggressive style. I would also love credit to Eknath Solkar,who emerged from a lower middle class background and Abid Ali.
Ofcourse today test cricket is not the same game and from a gentleman's sport has turned into a multi billion dollar business India being successful today in cricket is a manifestation of the globalization era but cricket still is major idiom of the masses. Who can forget how almost everyone was glued with a pocket radio on his era, listening to the commentary. What could be more illustrative of the love for cricket or how much it is embedded in the Indian psyche when you see Azad Maidan in Bombay.
No doubt today India's assertion in cricket has overtones of chauvinist supremacy and promoting nationalism, which is jingoistic. However still cricket is major idiom of the masses and could be used as a progressive form.Perhap's no event challenged white supremacy over Indian sin sport as India’s triumph at the Oval, exactly 50 years ago. Still for pure grace and sportsmanship the 1982 series in England stands out while for sheer conviction of victory, the 1986 tour. Without doubt for the most part of the atleast 5 decades overseas our neighbour Pakistan has overshadowed us.
Having lived in England in my schooldays I have vivid memories of the racism in England and the humiliation Indians were subjected to. Of course I assert that Britain perhaps the least racist of European countries .Often triumphing over England was symbolic of the rebellion against racial discrimination by the Indian immigrants. I would have loved to have seen a camera footage of the celebrations in India and of Indians in England. I still can’t forget the inherent sense of racial supremacy by the English even when I lived there from 1979-81.In 2019 during the world cup I had a most touching time with a Young Sikh employee in a hotel, who although a British citizen expressed his complete heart with India in the semi-final.
I must end with my commiserations for Pakistan who were somewhat unfairly eluded their 1st series win. Rain at Edgbaston and mere 25 run margin robbed them of making history. Ironically it was also the year of the Bangladesh war and the Indo-Pak 1971 war. I visualise imagine how strong a joint India-Pakistan team would have been.
Today the game may have reached the man in the slums but there is danger that promoting or chasing cricketing supremacy is to promote national and communal chauvinism.
