India v England - First Test

Punjab CA Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

India: *SM Gavaskar, RJ Shastri, PR Umrigar, VS Hazare, GR Viswanath, M Azharuddin, +FM Engineer, Kapil Dev, M Prabhakar, BS Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar.
England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, GAR Lock, JC Laker, AV Bedser, DL Underwood.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: LP Rowan (AUS) & DL Orchard (SAF)
Toss: England

Stifling heat and a pitch that had been prepared to last a lifetime conspired to consign England's inaugural Test with India to an inevitable draw, but there were a number of commendable performances over the course of the five days, and the promise is for a very closely fought series.

It was a great toss to win for Len Hutton, but his team entered the match without the services of Harold Larwood, whose stomach upset was to afflict both Hammond and Barrington during the course of the game, with Hammond actually being ill at the wicket during his first innings 38. England managed to rack up an imposing total of 513 in that innings, Barrington contributing an extraordinarily gutsy 103 - his fifth century in eight Tests - despite his obvious discomfort, and his partnership of 144 with Cowdrey (69) was England's highest for the fourth wicket in an overseas Test.

Bedi wheeled away gamely to pick up four wickets for India, but from a manageable 354-7, partnerships of 63 between Ames and Laker for the eighth wicket and a remarkable 90 for the tenth wicket between Laker and Underwood took England into a near impregnable position. Both Laker (74) and Underwood (42*) recorded their highest ever scores, with Underwood breaking his own record for the highest ever innings by a number 11, but with England's last pair able to bat with such assurance, one wondered just what India's powerful batting line up would achieve.

Indeed, by the time India's innings came to close shortly after tea on day four, England's total had been surpassed by 23 runs, but it had been a feat of endurance for players and spectators alike, with Hazare's eight hour 127 forming the foundation. Umrigar and Azharuddin were both dismissed in the 70s having shared hundred stands with Hazare, and only Chandrasekhar failed to reach double figures as the runs dripped, rather than flowed, for India. Underwood was the pick of the bowlers for England, and whilst he received game support from Bedser and Botham, Laker and Lock were both disappointing, with Lock completely unable to replicate his form from the tour match in Jalandhar.

With no chance of forcing a positive result, England settled for batting practice in their second innings, Hammond leading the way with a hundred that matched Barrington's for its application. A spell of 4-11 with the second new ball from Kapil Dev on the final afternoon gave India the faintest glimmer of hope, but a quickfire 55 from Botham restored parity and the tail wagged again, with Lock leading the way this time with a defiant 46* out of a final total of 359. Alec Bedser had the satisfaction of knocking over both Gavaskar and Shastri during India's brief second innings, but it was honours even come the end, with conditions both heavenly and terrestrial ensuring that the draw was always going to be the only outcome of what had been an arduous first Test.

Scores
England 1st Inns 513 (Barrington 103, Laker 74, Cowdrey 69, Hobbs 66, Ames 58, Underwood 42*; Bedi 4-121)
India 1st Inns 536 (Hazare 127, Umrigar 79, Azharuddin 73, Prabhakar 56; Underwood 4-104)
England 2nd Inns 359 (Hammond 113, Hutton 55, Botham 55, Barrington 54, Lock 46*; Kapil Dev 5-78)
India 2nd Inns 34-2

MATCH DRAWN


Man of the Match: KF Barrington

India v England - Tour Match

President's XI v England XI
Jalandhar
4 Day Game
Umpires: PD Reporter & S Kishen
Toss: England XI

President's XI: P Roy, ML Jaisimha, DN Sardesai, VL Manjrekar, *L Amarnath, ED Solkar, SA Durani, S Madan Lal, +PK Sen, SP Gupte, DR Doshi.
England XI: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, WR Hammond, DCS Compton, KF Barrington, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, GAR Lock, H Larwood, AV Bedser, DL Underwood.

A poorly prepared pitch in Jalandhar threatened to spoil England's preparations ahead of the Tests, but after a sticky first morning the tourists totally dominated their opponents, with the spin of left-armers Lock and Underwood twice running through the middle and lower order of the President's XI.

England stumbled to 72-4 on the first morning after choosing to bat on a decidedly corrugated looking strip, but Ken Barrington (61) shared in fifty stands with both Botham (44) and Ames (29) before Gupte cleaned up the tail to finish with figures of 5-67 out of England's total of 247. At 92-1 in reply, the President's XI looked in good shape midway through the second afternoon, but Lock's dismissal of Jaisimha for 46 with his first ball precipitated a collapse that sent the hosts whirling to 160 all out, with both Lock and Underwood claiming four wickets apiece. Sardesai was last out for a well-crafted 63, but other than the top three no Indian reached double figures, and over the course of the third day Len Hutton gave his hosts an object lesson in the art of batting.

Hutton cruised to an unbeaten 158 out of a second innings total of 267-2, and never once looked in trouble on a pitch that had now flattened out somewhat. A subdued Hammond (58) helped put on 169 for the second wicket after Hobbs (17) was out lbw for the second time in the match, and England's only concern was the sight of a hobbling Compton, whose knee seemed to be giving him some discomfort towards the end of his undefeated 29. Hutton's declaration set the Indians an unlikely 355 to win in just over a day, and shortly after lunch on the fourth day it was all over, the President's XI having been routed for just 87 in less than 40 overs.

All England's bowlers picked up at least one wicket, with Botham the pick of the seam attack, but it was Lock (3-6) and Underwood (2-17) who did most of the damage as only Jaisimha (15), Sardesai (24) and Durani (11) made it into double figures in what was a thoroughly abject batting display. With Laker rested but a certainty for selection for the first Test, England's selectors now have an interesting dilemma over the second spinner's spot, and there is a distinct possibility that the tourists may take the field in Mohali with a three-pronged spin attack, if pitch conditions are suitable. Whatever the final decision though, England look in good form ahead of the Test series, and we should be in for a most intriguing battle once play commences in Mohali.

Scores
England XI 1st Inns 247 (Barrington 61, Botham 44; Gupte 5-67)
President's XI 1st Inns 160 (Sardesai 63, Jaisimha 46; Lock 4-35, Underwood 4-42)
England XI 2nd Inns 267-2 dec. (Hutton 158*, Hammond 58)
President's XI 2nd Inns 87

ENGLAND XI WON BY 267 RUNS

India v England - Series Preview

England enter into their first tour of India at the head of the new ATG rankings, and despite failing to wrest the Ashes away from Australia they enter the series as marginal favourites in most people's eyes. It promises to be a tough trip though, especially with the prospect of an additional Test in Sri Lanka after the Indian leg, and Len Hutton's squad will surely be in for a stern test from their hosts. Fred Trueman fails to make the touring party after his unproductive Ashes series, but Ian Botham is retained after an equally low key set of performances. Denis Compton's comeback continues at the expense of David Gower, and Tony Lock is handed a much belated recall after winning his only cap way back in the very first ATG series of all, some 43 England Tests ago.

India have developed into a most capable unit, as recent drawn series with South Africa and Australia would suggest, and expectations are extraordinarily high amongst the home fans. A series win of any magnitude would take the Indians above Australia and into fourth in the rankings, and if that were to happen Indian cricket would be in its strongest position ever in ATG history. All is then to play for, as they say, and England's first foray into the Indian subcontinent gets underway with a warm-up match in Jalandhar before the first Test in Mohali.

England Squad
L Hutton (c), WR Hammond (v/c), LEG Ames, KF Barrington, AV Bedser, IT Botham, DCS Compton, MC Cowdrey, TG Evans, JB Hobbs, JC Laker, H Larwood, GAR Lock, JB Statham, DL Underwood, RGD Willis.

Team Rankings

I am changing the way in which I rank the teams in ATG cricket. Previously, the teams were ranked simply by looking at the ratio of wins and draws to matches played over the course of all ATG Tests (this is now the fifth season). This is useful when looking at the teams in an historical context, but it does not take into account current form. I've looked at other ranking methods, and I've taken some ideas from a few of them to produce a new formula.

The new method looks at results from the past three seasons only (seasons 3, 4 and 5), allocating one point for a win, half a point for a draw and none for a loss. One bonus point is now given to series winners, with no bonuses allocated if a series is drawn. Points from the current season are allocated their full worth, but points gained in the previous two seasons are devalued by 50%, thus placing more emphasis on truly current form.

Here are the current rankings up to the end of the AUS v NZ series (Test #168)

		M	Pts
1	England	28	73
2	West Indies	29	67
3	South Africa	24	67
4	Australia	28	65
5	India	24	60
6	Pakistan	31	54
7	New Zealand	26	24

Whilst Australia head the historical table (mainly thanks to their astounding first season - 12 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss and 3 series victories), this new table more accurately represents current form, with England's consistency rewarded with top spot and West Indies' recent recovery placing them in second (they are placed above South Africa due to their recent series victory over the Springboks).

Australia v New Zealand - Series Summary

Australia's 3-0 victory would suggest a comfortable series for the home side, but if truth be told it was not until halfway through the second Test that they affirmed their superiority over the New Zealanders. The tourists could, and perhaps should, have won the first Test in Brisbane, but stirring individual heroics from Miller, McCabe and Thomson turned the tide Australia's way, and Thomson again delivered in Hobart, backing up Border's stoic hundred with a ferocious second innings demolition of the Kiwis.

All this time, Don Bradman looked a troubled figure, scratching desperately for runs at what was just about the lowest point in his ATG career, but it is always darkest before the dawn, and the series will always be remembered for his astonishing 383 in the final Test at the WACA, a sublime innings played under the greatest personal pressure. Keith Miller was eventually named as Australia's man of the series, but Bradman's emergence from the doldrums may well prove to be the most significant individual performance in the series for Australia.

New Zealand's tour started with great hope, coming off a drawn series with Pakistan as it did, and at the halfway point in the first Test it looked as though the Blackcaps were on the verge of a significant breakthrough. However, just has been the case so often in the past, New Zealand were unable to force home their advantage, and by the end of the final Test they looked a spent force. Jack Cowie's development with the ball was a big plus, but Richard Hadlee was unable to find the form he showed in the Pakistan series, and with Stephen Boock failing to take even one wicket New Zealand's attack proved somewhat one-dimensional. The real failing was with the bat though, with Glen Turner recording the team's solitary century as only three of the top six could average over 30. With John Reid struggling to justify a place in the team his role as captain must now be in doubt, and once again New Zealand are left to look at the future with very uncertain eyes.

Australia Batting
DG Bradman 419 runs @ 104.75, KR Miller 268 @ 89.33, AR Border 288 @ 72.00, IA Healy 144 @ 72.00, SJ McCabe 152 @ 50.67

Australia Bowling
JR Thomson 15 wkts @ 14.13, AK Davidson 17 @ 15.35, KR Miller 10 @ 21.30, DK Lillee 5 @ 46.20

New Zealand Batting
GM Turner 271 runs @ 45.17, MD Crowe 218 @ 36.33, MP Donnelly 201 @ 33.50, RJ Hadlee 144 @ 28.80, JR Reid 170 @ 28.33

New Zealand Bowling
J Cowie 15 wkts @ 25.47, BR Taylor 8 @ 39.38, RJ Hadlee 8 @ 54.75

AUSTRALIA WON THE SERIES 3-0


Players of the Series: KR Miller & J Cowie

Australia v New Zealand - Third Test

The WACA Ground, Perth

Australia: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, DG Bradman, AR Border, SJ McCabe, KR Miller, +IA Healy, *R Benaud, AK Davidson, RR Lindwall, DK Lillee.
New Zealand: GM Turner, MH Richardson, BE Congdon, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, RJ Hadlee, +KJ Wadsworth, BR Taylor, J Cowie, SL Boock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & CJ Mitchley (SAF)
Toss: New Zealand

With the series result already decided, pride was the main commodity on the line in Perth, and with the destructive Thomson sidelined with a hamstring injury, New Zealand's chances of avoiding a whitewash were raised before a ball had been bowled. Thomson would have enjoyed bowling on a fast paced track at the WACA, and without him in the attack the Kiwis took on Australia's remaining pacemen in cavalier fashion after Reid won the toss and elected to bat.

Partnerships through the card took New Zealand to a reasonable first innings total of 305, but with Congdon, Donnelly, Reid and Hadlee all getting out between 40 and 70 one felt that it could have been much more. Lillee lost his head and was carted around the park by the tourists' top order, but Lindwall, Miller and Davidson all bowled well and were backed up by some smart catches in the cordon and behind the wicket, with Miller's catch off Lillee to dismiss Wadsworth for 2 being the pick.

Australia began their reply half an hour before lunch on the second day, and when Woodfull fell for 28 shortly after the resumption, caught by Boock in the gully off Taylor, Don Bradman walked out to play what was perhaps the most important innings of his ATG career to date. His poor form had been highlighted as one of the main reasons for Australia's recent decline, and scores of 9, 20 and 7 in this series had put his previously untouchable place in the team in severe jeopardy. The Don looked calm and collected despite the pressure though, and over the course of the next two days he compiled one of the greatest, if not the greatest, innings ever played.

Bradman had progressed to 92* out of a score of 188-1 at stumps on day two, and an off driven four off Hadlee completed his 20th ATG hundred on the third morning, the moment being greeted with a truly emotional standing ovation. This was only the start however, and by the third day's close Australia's total had moved on a monumental 529-2, 341 runs having been scored in the day for the loss of only one wicket. Bill Lawry had been the lone casualty, but not before he had ground his way to 131 out of a partnership of 325 with Bradman, the ninth highest stand of all time and the fourth highest for Australia.

Lawry's innings had not been attractive, but it had proved the ideal foil for Bradman, whose bat posed questions to which New Zealand's bowlers simply had no answers. His hundred had been converted to a double by mid-afternoon, and when stumps were drawn Bradman sat tantalizingly poised on 299, one run short of becoming the first player to record two triple hundreds in ATG Tests. The first ball of day four gave Bradman the single he needed to reach the landmark, and with Border making his way to his second consecutive hundred in typically unfussy fashion, the pair eclipsed the previous day's partnership with a stand of 327, the second highest ever for the third wicket. The scoreboard read a staggering 695-2 the ball before Cowie bowled Border, Australia's highest ever score and the second highest in ATG history, and the 700 mark was reached before Bradman finally fell, caught behind off Cowie for 383, the second highest individual score ever, behind only Bradman's own quadruple century against Pakistan.

Bradman had been at the crease for over eleven hours, and in that time he had well and truly silenced all the doubters in the most emphatic manner possible. With a lead of 395, Benaud declared upon Bradman's dismissal, leaving New Zealand the task of surviving for four and a half sessions to deny Australia a series sweep. A solid 46 from Turner and stroke-filled 80s from Crowe and Donnelly gave the Kiwis every chance of holding out, but from a position of 262-4 shortly after lunch on the final day, the innings fell apart just as it had done in the first two Tests, with Alan Davidson taking on Thomson's role of destroyer on this occasion.

Davidson moved the old ball prodigiously to claim figures of 5-56, and he finished off the match with an incredible spell of 4-0 in 10 balls as the tourists lost their last 6 wickets for just 22 runs. New Zealand simply seemed to run out of steam at the end of what had become a most physically and mentally demanding series, and Australia's innings victory confirmed a welcome return to form for the Baggy Green and for one man in particular; Bradman is back!

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 305 (Congdon 67, Hadlee 64, Donnelly 63, Reid 47)
AUS 1st Inns 700-4 dec. (Bradman 383, Border 133, Lawry 131)
NZL 2nd Inns 284 (Crowe 88, Donnelly 80, Reid 49, Turner 46; Davidson 5-56)

AUSTRALIA WON BY AN INNINGS & 111 RUNS


Man of the Match: DG Bradman