The second Test of the 1948–49 series took place at the historic Brabourne Stadium in Bombay, where India faced a dominant West Indies side led by the legendary John Goddard. The visitors, powered by the brilliance of Clyde Walcott and Everton Weekes, produced one of the most commanding performances of the series. India, despite fighting contributions from their senior players, struggled to contain the Caribbean batting wave and eventually succumbed to a heavy defeat by an innings and 193 runs.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs West Indies – 4th Test |
| Dates | February 4–8, 1949 |
| Venue | Brabourne Stadium, Bombay |
| Result | West Indies won by an innings and 193 runs |
| Series Situation | West Indies lead decisively |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | West Indies (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Lala Amarnath (Captain) | John Goddard (Captain) |
| Mushtaq Ali | Allan Rae |
| Vinoo Mankad | Jeff Stollmeyer |
| Vijay Hazare | George Headley |
| Rusi Modi | Everton Weekes |
| Gul Mohammad | Clyde Walcott |
| Dattu Phadkar | Robert Christiani |
| Phiroze Palia | Gerry Gomez |
| Probir Sen (wk) | Denis Atkinson |
| Hemu Adhikari | John Trim |
| Ghulam Ahmed | Prior Jones |
West Indies 1st Innings – 631 all out
West Indies delivered a monumental batting performance, with Clyde Walcott scoring a superb 168 and Everton Weekes blasting 162, continuing his record-breaking run in the series. Their partnership broke the Indian attack and shaped the match decisively.
Jeff Stollmeyer (46) and George Headley (42) provided early stability, while Gerry Gomez (52) added valuable runs in the lower middle order.
India’s bowlers toiled hard, with Ghulam Ahmed and Hemu Adhikari picking up most wickets.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Allan Rae | 28 | c Sen b Mankad |
| Jeff Stollmeyer | 46 | c Modi b Ghulam Ahmed |
| George Headley | 42 | c Sen b Adhikari |
| Everton Weekes | 162 | c Hazare b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Clyde Walcott | 168 | b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Robert Christiani | 18 | lbw b Hazare |
| Gerry Gomez | 52 | c Modi b Adhikari |
| Denis Atkinson | 12 | c Mankad b Adhikari |
| John Goddard (c) | 10 | c Palia b Ghulam Ahmed |
| John Trim | 5 | b Adhikari |
| Prior Jones | 1* | Not out |
| Extras | 87 | |
| Total | 631 all out (195.4 overs) |
Best Bowling (India):
- Ghulam Ahmed – 4/162
- Hemu Adhikari – 4/130
- Vinoo Mankad – 1/90
India 1st Innings – 212 all out
India’s reply faltered early as the West Indian pacers John Trim and Prior Jones exploited the pitch with accuracy and bounce.
Only Gul Mohammad (52) and Rusi Modi (41) showed notable resistance.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Mushtaq Ali | 18 | c Walcott b Trim |
| Lala Amarnath (c) | 11 | c Weekes b Jones |
| Vijay Hazare | 15 | c Gomez b Jones |
| Rusi Modi | 41 | c Christiani b Gomez |
| Gul Mohammad | 52 | b Gomez |
| Vinoo Mankad | 21 | lbw b Trim |
| Dattu Phadkar | 15 | c Rae b Trim |
| Phiroze Palia | 8 | c Weekes b Atkinson |
| Probir Sen (wk) | 6 | b Atkinson |
| Hemu Adhikari | 9 | b Atkinson |
| Ghulam Ahmed | 4* | Not out |
| Extras | 12 | |
| Total | 212 all out (78.2 overs) |
Best Bowling (West Indies):
- John Trim – 3/59
- Gerry Gomez – 2/28
- Prior Jones – 2/34
- Denis Atkinson – 3/45
India 2nd Innings – 226 all out (Following On)
Facing a massive follow-on, India produced a better batting display but once again lacked the partnerships needed to threaten the West Indies total.
Vijay Hazare scored a fighting 56, supported by Mankad (31) and Phadkar (33), but the West Indian bowlers maintained relentless pressure.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Mushtaq Ali | 22 | c Walcott b Trim |
| Lala Amarnath (c) | 14 | c Christiani b Jones |
| Vijay Hazare | 56 | c Rae b Atkinson |
| Rusi Modi | 26 | c Weekes b Gomez |
| Gul Mohammad | 19 | c Walcott b Trim |
| Vinoo Mankad | 31 | b Trim |
| Dattu Phadkar | 33 | c Headley b Atkinson |
| Phiroze Palia | 7 | lbw b Atkinson |
| Probir Sen (wk) | 5 | b Jones |
| Hemu Adhikari | 8 | c Gomez b Atkinson |
| Ghulam Ahmed | 3* | Not out |
| Extras | 2 | |
| Total | 226 all out (92 overs) |
Best Bowling (West Indies):
- Denis Atkinson – 4/56
- John Trim – 3/51
- Prior Jones – 2/42
Match Result: West Indies won by an innings and 193 runs
Highlights of the Match
- Everton Weekes (162) and Clyde Walcott (168) produced one of the greatest overseas batting performances in Bombay.
- West Indies piled up a massive 631, giving India no chance to recover.
- India’s batting struggled in both innings, scoring 212 and 226.
- Denis Atkinson (4/56) and John Trim (3/51) delivered match-winning spells.
- Ghulam Ahmed’s 4/162 and Adhikari’s 4/130 were the only bright bowling spots for India.
- This defeat remains one of India’s heaviest Test losses at home in the pre-1950 era.