Australian cricket team in India in 1959–60

The Australian national cricket team toured India in the winter of 1959-60. The two teams played five Tests, with Australia winning two, India winning one, and two others being drawn. The Australians also played several matches against domestic Indian squads.

Australian cricket team in India in 1959–60
 
  Australia India
Dates 12 December 1959 – 28 January 1960
Captains Richie Benaud Gulabrai Ramchand
Test series
Result Australia won the 5-match series 2–1
Most runs Norm O'Neill (376) Nari Contractor (438)
Most wickets Richie Benaud (29) Jasu Patel (19)

At the time of its arrival in India, the Australian cricket team was acclaimed as the strongest side in the world, having won 11 of its last 16 Tests and lost none. In the years just prior, they had not only defeated India, but also South Africa, England, and Pakistan as well. The confident Aussies, led by captain Richie Benaud, featured such names as Neil Harvey, Norm O'Neill, Ray Lindwall, and Ian Meckiff among others. Meanwhile, India had dropped 11 of its last 13 Tests, including humbling defeats at the hands of Australia, the West Indies, and England, and had not won a single one. The Indians seemed to be struggling with every aspect of the game – batting, bowling, and fielding – not to mention leadership and the maintenance of a "fighting spirit." Hence, this series between Benaud's Australians and Gulabrai Ramchand's Indian team had a true David vs. Goliath nature to it.[1]

Touring party

[2]

Test matches

1st Test
12–16 December
Scorecard
v
135 (59.4 overs)
Nari Contractor 41
Richie Benaud 3/0 (3.4 overs)
468 (143 overs)
Neil Harvey 114
Polly Umrigar 4/49 (15.3 overs)
206 (111 overs)
Pankaj Roy 99
Richie Benaud 5/76 (46 overs)
Australia won by an innings and 127 runs
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Umpires: Santosh Ganguli and Mohammad Yunus

2nd Test
19–24 December
Scorecard
v
152 (70.1 overs)
Bapu Nadkarni 25
Alan Davidson 5/31 (20.1 overs)
219 (77.5 overs)
Colin McDonald 53
Jasu Patel 9/69 (35.5 overs)
291 (144.3 overs)
Nari Contractor 74
Alan Davidson 7/93 (57.3 overs)
105 (57.4 overs)
Colin McDonald 34
Jasu Patel 5/55 (25.4 overs)
India won by 119 runs
Modi Stadium, Kanpur
Umpires: Santosh Ganguli and Bapu Joshi

The second Test at Kanpur was notable for being India's first-ever Test victory over the Australians, and also the first match to be played on a turf wicket. Indian off-spinner Jasu Patel distinguished himself, taking 14 wickets in the match (nine wickets in the first innings and five in the second). He would go on to take 19 wickets in the series.[3]

3rd Test
1–6 January
Scorecard
v
289 (142.5 overs)
Nari Contractor 108
Alan Davidson 4/62 (34.5 overs)
387/8 d (140 overs)
Norm O'Neill 163
Bapu Nadkarni 6/105 (51 overs)
226/5 dec. (101 overs)
Abbas Ali Baig 58
Ian Meckiff 3/67 (28 overs)
34/1 (8 overs)
Wally Grout 22
Pankaj Roy 1/6 (2 overs)

4th Test
13–17 January
Scorecard
v
342 (153 overs)
Les Favell 101
Ramakant Desai 4/93 (41 overs)
149 (77.1 overs)
Budhi Kunderan 71
Richie Benaud 5/43 (32.1 overs)
138 (105 overs)
Nari Contractor 41
Richie Benaud 3/43 (35 overs)
Australia won by an innings and 55 runs
Nehru Stadium, Madras
Umpires: Narayan Sane and Mysore Vijayasarathi

5th Test
23–28 January
Scorecard
v
194 (89.3 overs)
C. D. Gopinath 39
Alan Davidson 3/37 (16 overs)
331 (111.1 overs)
Norm O'Neill 113
Ramakant Desai 4/111 (36 overs)
339 (146.2 overs)
M. L. Jaisimha 74
Richie Benaud 4/103 (48 overs)
121/2 (52 overs)
Les Favell 62
Nari Contractor 1/9 (5 overs)

Tour matches

Three-day: Indian Board President's XI v Australians
27–29 December
Scorecard
v
293 (90.2 overs)
Man Sood 73
Lindsay Kline 4/72 (27 overs)
554/6d (134 overs)
Norm O'Neill 284
William Ghosh 3/195 (40 overs)
143/5 (36 overs)
Manohar Hardikar 59
Richie Benaud 2/13 (8 overs)

Three-day: Indian Universities v Australians
9–11 January 1960
Scorecard
v
556/9d (103 overs)
Peter Burge 157
Deepak Das Gupta 2/109 (21 overs)
231 (90.1 overs)
M. L. Jaisimha 51
Ken Mackay 3/37 (25 overs)
213/6 (f/o) (56.5 overs)
M. L. Jaisimha 66
Gavin Stevens 2/16 (6 overs)
  • Sudhakar Adhikari (Indian Universities) made his first-class debut.[4]
  • Baba Sidhaye (Indian Universities) passed 1,000 runs in first-class cricket.[4]

References
  1. Ramchand, Pertab (2001-02-18). "When Jasu Patel wrought the miracle at Kanpur". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  2. "Australia in Pakistan and India, 1959-60". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  3. Mohapatra, Bikash (2008-04-10). "Green Park gave India its first win over Australia". Rediff. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
  4. "Indian Universities v Australians, Australia in India and Pakistan 1959/60". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
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