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