The inaugural Test series on Indian soil concluded in Madras in February 1934, with India and England facing off in the third and final match at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. With England leading the series 1-0, India hoped to level the series with a victory. However, despite a sensational bowling performance from Amar Singh and some spirited resistance, Douglas Jardine’s England proved too strong, ultimately winning the match by 202 runs to clinch the series 2-0. The game was a fitting end to a historic tour that firmly established Test cricket in the hearts of the Indian public.
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | England vs. India, 3rd Test |
| Dates | 10–13 February 1934 |
| Venue | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madras |
| Toss | England won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | England won by 202 runs |
| Match Format | 4-day Test Match |
| Umpires | D. K. Mistry & Frank Tarrant |
| Debut | First-ever Test match at this venue |
Team Lineups
| India Team (Playing XI) | England Team (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| C. K. Nayudu (Captain) | Douglas Jardine (Captain) |
| C. S. Ramaswami (Wicket-keeper) | Les Ames (Wicket-keeper) |
| Naoomal Jaoomal | Cyril Walters |
| Wazir Ali | Charlie Barnett |
| Yuvraj of Patiala | Bryan Valentine |
| Vijay Merchant | Maurice Leyland |
| Lala Amarnath | James Human |
| Nazir Ali | James Langridge |
| Mohammad Nissar | Hedley Verity |
| Amar Singh | Stan Nichols |
| M. J. Gopalan | Nobby Clark |
England 1st Innings – 335 all out
After winning the toss, England put up a solid total of 335, thanks to a superb century from opener Cyril Walters (102). He was well-supported by Douglas Jardine (61). However, the innings belonged to Indian fast bowler Amar Singh, who produced a phenomenal spell of bowling to take 7 wickets for 86 runs.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Cyril Walters | 102 | c Ramaswami b Gopalan |
| Charlie Barnett | 11 | b Nissar |
| Bryan Valentine | 3 | c Ramaswami b Amar Singh |
| Maurice Leyland | 3 | b Amar Singh |
| Douglas Jardine (c) | 61 | c & b Amar Singh |
| Les Ames (wk) | 28 | b Amar Singh |
| James Human | 43 | c Nayudu b Amar Singh |
| James Langridge | 31 | b Amar Singh |
| Hedley Verity | 30 | b Amar Singh |
| Stan Nichols | 1 | not out |
| Nobby Clark | 0 | b Gopalan |
| Extras | 22 | |
| Total | 335 all out | (132.3 overs) |
India 1st Innings – 145 all out
India’s reply was short-lived as they crumbled against the spin of Hedley Verity. The entire team was dismissed for just 145, with no batsman reaching 30. Verity was almost unplayable, finishing with incredible figures of 7 for 49.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Naoomal Jaoomal | 3 | b Clark |
| Wazir Ali | 26 | b Clark |
| Vijay Merchant | 22 | b Verity |
| Lala Amarnath | 2 | b Verity |
| C. K. Nayudu (c) | 29 | st Ames b Verity |
| Yuvraj of Patiala | 12 | b Verity |
| Nazir Ali | 4 | c Jardine b Verity |
| Amar Singh | 25 | c Jardine b Verity |
| M. J. Gopalan | 11 | c Ames b Verity |
| Mohammad Nissar | 0 | b Clark |
| C. S. Ramaswami (wk) | 1 | not out |
| Extras | 10 | |
| Total | 145 all out | (59.5 overs) |
England 2nd Innings – 261/7 declared
With a massive lead of 190, England batted again to set India an impossible target. They scored quickly, declaring at 261 for 7. Bryan Valentine (65) was the top scorer. This left India needing 452 runs to win.
India 2nd Innings – 249 all out
Chasing a mammoth target, India put up a much better fight in their second innings. Yuvraj of Patiala scored a fluent 60, and captain C. K. Nayudu contributed 41. However, the task was too great, and they were eventually bowled out for 249. Hedley Verity again starred with the ball, taking 4 more wickets to finish with 11 for the match.
Highlights of The Match
- The match was the final Test of England’s historic first tour of India, with England winning the series 2-0.
- Indian pacer Amar Singh delivered one of the great bowling spells in early Indian cricket history, taking 7 wickets for 86 runs in the first innings.
- England’s left-arm spinner Hedley Verity dominated with the ball, taking 7/49 in the first innings and finishing with 11 wickets in the match.
- Cyril Walters scored a century for England in the first innings, the third of the series for the visitors.
- Yuvraj of Patiala’s fighting 60 in the second innings was a highlight for India in a difficult chase.
