Probashi- Sports
Probashi- Sports
First Indian Test Cricket Team
Battle Ready‐ The final eleven of the Indian team which took the battle to the English Camp. Seen here on the Lords ground beforethe start of the first test match
supporter sitting in the stadium filled with 25000 spectators the contest seemed a bit unfair. Both Nissar and his opening bowling partner Amar Singh purchased fiery pace of the wicket. Captain CK Naidu put pressure placing three slips and two short legs, reputation of the batsmen notwithstanding. Indians did not seem to be the underdogs.
With English score at 8 runs, Sutcliffe played a vicious inswinging yorker from Nissar on to his leg stump. Three runs later, the bowler brought one back at lightning pace to send the off stump of Holmes flying. The famed English opening pair was back in pavilion with score reading merely 9 / 2. The unknown Indian side was no penny pusher. Coming at number three was the immensely experienced Frank Woolley later to find place in ICC Cricket hall of Fame. A misjudgement while taking the second run saw the agile Lal Singh run Woolley out with an accurate throw. Within twenty minutes of start the English were tottering at 19 / 3. The English had not bargained for this, the English dressing room went into a huddle. The situation was alarming. Wally Hammond and English captain Douglas Jardine dug and negotiated the fearsome pace attack with patience and skill. It was not easy at the pitch with Nissar, Amar Singh, Jehangir Khan and Naidu bowling their heart out. The two batsmen piled up 82 for the fourth wicket till Amar Singh breached Hammond’ s defences and clean bowled him. The English were still not out of the woods the score stood at 101 / 4. And soon to depart was Eddie Paynter another of the world’ s top batsmen in English team ranks reducing England to 149 / 5. It was then that the Indian concentration faltered, wicket keeper Navle missed a stumping of the next batsman Les Ames even before the batsman had scored. This proved costly; Ames went on to make 65 runs.
Had the stumping happened England score would have read 149 / 6 and exposed its tail enders. Not a happy situation at all. England was all out for 259, with captain Jardine the top scorer with 79. Mohammad Nissar bagged 5 wickets.
Indians openers Naoomal Jaoomal and Janardan Navle walked in to start the Indian innings under fading lights on the first day. They negotiated the new ball well and at draw of stumps the Indian innings stood at 30 / 0. Clearly the first day had gone India’ s way; it was India’ s Lagaan moment.
The Indian spirited performance continued till lunch on the second day when India was 101 / 2, with two of its best batsmen, CK Naidu and Wazir Ali at the crease. Post lunch the English fast bowling machine comprising of Voce and Bowes fired and Indian’ s lack of batting depth was exposed. The Indian middle order collapsed like a house