Quite clearly, then, the batting was the mainproblem
Partab Ramchand08-Aug-2002A young and inexperienced Indian outfit was sent to England in1952 to face a side whose fortunes were going through a revivalthat culminated in regaining the Ashes the next year. The resultwas a disaster for the visitors. Three of the four Tests werelost by margins that brooked no argument seven wickets, eightwickets and an innings and 207 runs – and the final Test toowould surely have been lost but for the fortunate intervention ofrain. The record was particularly poor in the first-class gamestoo. Out of 29 matches, only four were won, five lost and 20 weredrawn.
Quite clearly, then, the batting was the mainproblem. Brought up on perfect pitches back home, the youngbatsmen lacked the skill and technique to come good in alienconditions. The weather was another factor that went against thetourists, for it was a wet summer.
The disappointment was especially acute because, during the1951-52 season, India had put up a fine showing against Englandat home. The series was drawn, and in the process Indiaregistered her first victory in Tests. But the truth of thematter was that the visitors were without the services of playerslike Len Hutton, Denis Compton, Godfrey Evans, Jim Laker, AlecBedser and Peter May.In England, in familiar conditions and back to full strength, thehosts were obviously going to be a different proposition. NeitherLala Amarnath nor Mushtaq Ali was picked, while Vinoo Mankad wasomitted from the tour after a misunderstanding over selectionprocedures. A disagreement over terms meant that even as Indiamade their rounds of England with no conspicuous success, theirleading cricketer was playing for Haslingden in the Lancashireleagues. Ultimately, after hectic parleys, manager Pankaj Guptaobtained his release for three Tests after the first Test hadbeen lost.Mankad straightaway made his presence felt, but there is littledoubt that the team would have benefited immensely had he been afull member of the side. His presence itself would have been atonic for the many youngsters in the team, and it is a fair toassume that the side’s overall record would have been muchbetter.Indeed, such was the woeful record of the team that some of theshattering setbacks were of the kind that have not beenexperienced since. In the first Test at Leeds, there occurred theinfamous collapse when India lost their first four wicketswithout a run on the board. In the third Test at Manchester,India were dismissed twice in one day, something that remainsunique in Test cricket. In the final Test at the Oval, India losttheir first five wickets for six runs.Quite clearly, then, the batting was the main problem. Brought upon perfect pitches back home, the young batsmen lacked the skilland technique to come good in alien conditions. The weather wasanother factor that went against the tourists, for it was a wetsummer. The Indians found the pace of Fred Trueman and the swingof Alec Bedser too hot to handle. In his debut series, Trueman,with his disconcerting pace, presented a fearsome sight.Years later, in his autobiography, Trueman was to recall, “Ireally strafed those Indianwallahs in 1952. By the time I hadfinished with them, I had their curly hair up in spikes.” Noexaggeration this – the Indians were really scared of Trueman.The Yorkshire speedster was at his most devastating at Manchesterwhen he took eight for 31 off 8.4 overs as India were shot outfor 58 in less than two hours. In the four Tests, Trueman took 29wickets at an average of 13.31.There were a few crumbs of comfort for the Indians. The battingof Vijay Hazare was an object lesson in how to bat in unfriendlyand adverse conditions. In first-class matches, he scored 1,077runs at an average of 30.77, but it was his batting in the Teststhat was the apotheosis of courage. Time and again he rescued theside with technically sound batting and headed the figures with333 runs at an average of 55.50.But Polly Umrigar was a puzzle. Outside the Tests, he was acommanding batsman, as illustrated by his tour figures of 1,688runs at an average of 48.22 with five centuries, three of themdouble hundreds. In the Tests, plainly in distress againstTrueman, he was a sitting duck, as shown by his meagre aggregateof 43 runs from seven innings. Vijay Manjrekar, anothertechnically qualified batsman, just about lived up to hisreputation. He scored 1,059 runs on the tour at an average of39.22, and his finest hour came when he made a gallant 133 atLeeds in his first Test innings in England. But the remaining sixinnings brought him only 29 runs.More was expected from players like Pankaj Roy, CD Gopinath,Dattu Phadkar, Dattajirao Gaekwad, GS Ramchand and Hemu Adhikari.But they were technically exposed in the English conditions. Roy,who was the batting find of the winter with two hundreds in hisdebut series, had five ducks in seven Test innings, includingfour in a row and a pair. His tour figures were a disappointing788 runs at an average of 21.88.In contrast, the bowling, for all its limitations, was neverreally collared. Ghulam Ahmed was easily the best of the lot,picking up 80 for the tour at 21.92. The tall off-spinner alsoheaded the Test figures with 15 wickets at 24.73. All-roundersDattu Phadkar and Ramchand too had their moments, picking up 53and 64 wickets on the tour, while RV Divecha (50) and Hazare (44)lent a helping hand.There were many highlights in the Tests Hazare’s courageousbatting, Hutton’s technical skill that saw him get two hundreds,Trueman’s devastation, Ghulam’s penetrative bowling, particularlyin the first Test, the 222-run fourth-wicket partnership betweenHazare and Manjrekar at Leeds, Evans’ buccaneering batting thatalmost got him a hundred before lunch at Lord’s (he was strandedon 98).But there is little doubt that the star feature of the series wasMankad’s incredible performance at Lord’s. Coming into the Testside after a stint of league cricket, he top-scored with 72 and184 in both innings and sent down 73 overs to take five wicketsfor 196. His tireless stamina, aggressive batting and skillfulbowling in a losing cause saw critics groping for adjectives. Itremains one of the greatest feats in the history of Indiancricket.