The 1959 Australia tour of India began with a gripping Test at the iconic Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. India, led by captain Gulabrai Ramchand, faced a powerful Australian lineup captained by Richie Benaud, one of the preeminent all-rounders of the era. Despite spirited efforts, India found themselves outmatched by a superior Australian batting and bowling display, culminating in a decisive victory for the visitors.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Australia, 1st Test |
| Dates | 12–16 December 1959 |
| Venue | Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | Australia won by an innings and 127 runs |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | S.K. Ganguli & Mohammad Yunus |
| Significance | First Test of the 1959–60 Australia tour of India |
Team Lineups
| India Playing XI | Australia Playing XI |
|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | Colin McDonald |
| Nari Contractor | Les Favell |
| Polly Umrigar | Neil Harvey |
| Abbas Ali Baig | Norm O’Neill |
| Chandu Borde | Ken Mackay |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | Richie Benaud (c) |
| Bapu Nadkarni | Wally Grout (wk) |
| †Padmanabh Joshi | Alan Davidson |
| Surendranath | Ian Meckiff |
| Venatappa Muddiah | Gordon Rorke |
| Ramakant Desai | Lindsay Kline |
India 1st Innings – 135 all out
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 0 | c Grout b Davidson |
| Nari Contractor | 41 | b Davidson |
| Polly Umrigar | 0 | c Grout b Davidson |
| Abbas Ali Baig | 9 | b Rorke |
| Chandu Borde | 14 | c Grout b Meckiff |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | 20 | c Grout b Kline |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 1 | b Rorke |
| †Padmanabh Joshi | 15 | b Benaud |
| Surendranath | 24* | not out |
| Venatappa Muddiah | 0 | lbw b Benaud |
| Ramakant Desai | 0 | c O’Neill b Benaud |
| Extras | 11 | |
| Total | 135 all out |
Bowling (AUS):
Alan Davidson 3/22, Richie Benaud 3/0, Gordon Rorke 2/30, Ian Meckiff 1/52, Lindsay Kline 1/15.
Australia 1st Innings – 468 all out
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Colin McDonald | 20 | b Surendranath |
| Les Favell | 39 | b Surendranath |
| Neil Harvey | 114 | lbw b Nadkarni |
| Norm O’Neill | 39 | run out |
| Ken Mackay | 78 | c †Joshi b Umrigar |
| Alan Davidson | 25 | c Baig b Desai |
| Richie Benaud | 20 | c Borde b Umrigar |
| Wally Grout (wk) | 42 | b Umrigar |
| Lindsay Kline | 14 | c & b Ramchand |
| Extras | included | |
| Total | 468 all out |
India 2nd Innings – 206 all out
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 99 | b Davidson |
| Nari Contractor | 26 | lbw b Rorke |
| Polly Umrigar | 4 | b Rorke |
| Abbas Ali Baig | 22 | b Davidson |
| Chandu Borde | 10 | b Meckiff |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | 1 | b Davidson |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 6 | b Meckiff |
| †Padmanabh Joshi | 9 | c Grout b Davidson |
| Surendranath | 10 | b Davidson |
| Venatappa Muddiah | 0 | lbw b Benaud |
| Ramakant Desai | 19 | c O’Neill b Benaud |
| Extras | 0 | |
| Total | 206 all out |
Match Result
Australia won by an innings and 127 runs.
Australia’s massive first-innings total of 468, powered by Neil Harvey’s century, proved too strong for India’s two innings totals of 135 and 206. ESPN Cricinfo
Highlights of the Match
- India won the toss and chose to bat, but were skittled for 135 in their first innings.
- Neil Harvey’s century (114) anchored Australia’s commanding total of 468.
- Alan Davidson and Richie Benaud shared the bulk of the wickets, dismantling India’s batting across both innings.
- Pankaj Roy’s 99 in the second innings was the standout Indian performance, narrowly missing a rare century. ESPN Cricinfo
- Australia’s bowling depth and top-order strength highlighted the gap between the sides at the time.