The miracle at Kanpur - forty years on
On December 24, 1959, India completed a Test victory over Australia at Kanpur
Partab Ramchand
24-Dec-1999
On December 24, 1959, India completed a Test victory over Australia at
Kanpur. To today's generation, which have been brought up on the
exploits of Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar, who have
seen the country register ten successive victories in Tests at home in
the 80s and 90s, who have seen India score great triumphs at Port of
Spain and the Oval, Lord's and Leeds, Melbourne and Sydney, who have
seen India take the World Cup, the simple fact that the team scored a
victory in a Test would seem commonplace. Believe me, it wasn't. It
was page one news in Indian papers, was the lead story in radio news
bulletins, made headlines all over the cricketing world and was hailed
as ``the miracle at Kanpur.'' Even 40 years ago to the day, despite
the halo surrounding the many notable victories notched up by Indian
teams over the last two or three decades, the mystique over that
Kanpur culmination has not diminished one bit. To old timers like me
and to keen cricket followers of a later generation, the mere mention
``Kanpur, 1959'' will make eyes sparkle, even though a full four
decades have elapsed since that memorable day.
Let's roll back the years quickly. On December 19, 1959, the Indian
team had reached its nadir. Of the previous 14 Test matches, eleven
had been lost, five of them by an innings, eight of them with more
than a day to spare. And they were up against opponents, who were the
leading cricketing nation in the world, and who had won ten of their
previous 14 Tests. Ever since Richie Benaud had taken over the
leadership, Australia were a transformed lot and with players like
Harvey, O'Neill, McDonald, Favell, Davidson, Meckiff, Lindwall, Kline,
Grout, Burge and Mackay in their ranks, they were a formidable
side. Just three days before the Kanpur Test commenced, they had
routed India by an innings and 127 runs in four days at New
Delhi. India had just returned from a 5-0 thrashing in England and all
seemed set for another clean sweep at the hands of the Australians.
The Indians, on paper, did not look to be a very weak side. With
players like skipper Ramchand, Roy, Contractor, Umrigar, Borde,
Nadkarni, Kenny, Baig, Desai, Tamhane and Surendranath around, it did
seem like they had the ability to extend the Australians, if not
exactly be a match for them. But then what changes could be effected
within three days to overturn an overwhelming innings defeat?
This is where the chairman of the selection committee Lala Amarnath
came up with his masterstroke. Knowing the Green Park wicket well and
being well aware of the general vulnerability of the Australians to
off spin bowling, he picked Jasu Patel to play at Kanpur. Cricket
followers all over the world wondered at Amarnath's wisdom in choosing
a 35-year-old bowler who had performed only modestly in the four Tests
he had played since making his debut in Pakistan in 1955. Since then,
he had played in one Test against New Zealand in 1955-56 and then two
against Australia in October-November 1956. Relaxing in his Ahmedabad
home, Patel himself was surprised at his selection and made the trip
to Kanpur quite reluctantly, aware of the fact that opinion was
growing in favour of playing AG Kripal Singh, a much younger off
spinning all rounder.
Amarnath however knew exactly what he was doing and ultimately it was
Patel who played. And yet it was quite some time before Patel started
weaving his magic around the strong Australian batting line up. After
India were bowled out for 152 on the first day, Australia at lunch on
the following day were 128 for one. Patel had taken the wicket to fall
but generally seemed innocuous. However Ramchand had been bowling him
from the wrong end as Amarnath pointed to the Indian captain at the
break. Amarnath wanted him to bowl at the footmarks of Davidson and
Meckiff. After the interval, Ramchand brought him on from the pavilion
end and the transformation both in the bowler and the trend of the
Australian innings was astonishing. Well before close of play, the
visitors were all out for 219 with Patel picking up nine for 69, which
remained the best figures by an Indian bowler in a Test till Anil
Kumble took his all ten against Pakistan in February this year. He was
accuracy personified, made the ball turn viciously and mixed his
straighter one or the drifter judiciously. The Australians, even such
experienced players of spin like Harvey and McDonald, had absolutely
no clue as to which way the ball would turn.
The Indians came up with a much better display in the second innings
and a total of 291 left the Australians 225 to get. But by now the
initiative had slipped from their grasp and they never really had a
chance. In the second innings, Patel was less devastating but this was
made up by Umrigar's incisive spell. The veteran all rounder, who
bowled both off breaks and medium pacers, made the ball turn
alarmingly and settled the match with two similiar deliveries which
dismissed Harvey and O'Neill - a sharply turning off break which
pitched at an inconvenient length. Both were caught by Nadkarni, the
left handed Harvey at slip and the right handed O'Neill at leg
slip. Umrigar finished with four for 27 while Patel had five for
55. Australia, well before lunch on the final day were bowled out for
105 leaving the jubilant Indians unexpected victors by 119 runs -
their first success in ten Tests against Australia.
The Kanpur victory was only the sixth notched up by India in 64 Tests
till then. It was easily the most notable win in Indian cricket
history and remained so till our double triumphs at Port of Spain and
the Oval in 1971. Given the background leading up to the victory, the
formidable opposition over which it was achieved and the glorious
manner it was registered, there is little doubt that the `miracle at
Kanpur' will forever rank as one of the greatest triumphs, no matter
how many more triumphs are scored in future.