December 1955 brought another memorable chapter in India’s cricketing history as New Zealand toured India for their first-ever Test series on Indian soil. The opening Test, played at the iconic Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi, from 16 to 21 December 1955, saw India showcase resilience and tactical maturity, ending the match in a draw.
Captained by Polly Umrigar, India faced a determined New Zealand side led by Johnny Hayes. The match highlighted the evolving standard of Indian cricket, featuring gritty batting, disciplined bowling, and strategic field placements. Both teams displayed moments of brilliance, making it a tightly contested encounter.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs. New Zealand – 1st Test |
| Dates | 16–21 December 1955 |
| Venue | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | Match Drawn |
| Match Format | 5-day Test |
| Umpires | M. G. Vijaya Rao & T. V. Ramaswamy |
| Significance | New Zealand’s first Test tour of India; India shows strong batting depth |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | New Zealand (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Polly Umrigar (c) | Johnny Hayes (c) |
| Pankaj Roy | Bert Sutcliffe |
| Vijay Manjrekar | John Reid |
| Nari Contractor | Graham Dowling |
| Hemu Adhikari | Noel Harford |
| Subhash Gupte | Frank Mooney (wk) |
| Vinoo Mankad | Tony MacGibbon |
| Dattu Phadkar | Tom Burtt |
| Gulabrai Ramchand | John Guy |
| Ghulam Ahmed | Ian Leggat |
| Probir Sen (wk) | Noel McGregor |
India 1st Innings – 309 all out
Winning the toss, India chose to bat first. The innings was anchored by Vijay Manjrekar (92) and Polly Umrigar (84), who batted with patience and skill against New Zealand’s disciplined bowling attack.
Subhash Gupte spun effectively, taking 4 wickets for 71 runs, while Tom Burtt and Tony MacGibbon troubled the middle order. India were eventually dismissed for 309, setting a competitive tone for the match.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 35 | b MacGibbon |
| Polly Umrigar (c) | 84 | b Burtt |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 92 | c Hayes b MacGibbon |
| Hemu Adhikari | 45 | b Burtt |
| Subhash Gupte | 18 | c Mooney b MacGibbon |
| Dattu Phadkar | 12 | b MacGibbon |
| Gulabrai Ramchand | 5 | b Burtt |
| Vinoo Mankad | 6 | b MacGibbon |
| Ghulam Ahmed | 4 | b Burtt |
| Probir Sen (wk) | 7 | b MacGibbon |
| Extras | 1 | |
| Total | 309 all out | 112.5 overs |
New Zealand 1st Innings – 277 all out
In reply, New Zealand fought hard, led by Bert Sutcliffe (101) who played a masterful century blending defense and strokeplay. John Reid added a valuable 58 in support.
India’s spin attack, especially Gupte (5/90), created breakthroughs at regular intervals, preventing New Zealand from gaining the upper hand. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 277, giving India a slender first-innings lead.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Bert Sutcliffe | 101 | b Ghulam Ahmed |
| John Reid | 58 | c Sen b Gupte |
| Graham Dowling | 21 | b Gupte |
| Noel Harford | 18 | b Ramchand |
| Johnny Hayes (c) | 29 | c Umrigar b Gupte |
| Frank Mooney (wk) | 23 | b Gupte |
| Tony MacGibbon | 12 | b Ramchand |
| Tom Burtt | 10 | c Sen b Gupte |
| John Guy | 5 | b Gupte |
| Ian Leggat | 0 | b Ramchand |
| Noel McGregor | 0* | Not out |
| Extras | 1 | |
| Total | 277 all out | 104.3 overs |
India 2nd Innings – 172/5 declared
In their second innings, India batted cautiously to set a challenging but achievable target and to ensure the match ended in a draw. Polly Umrigar (63) and Manjrekar (51) led the charge, supported by Ramchand (22) and Gupte (18). India declared at 172/5, leaving New Zealand chasing an impossible target with only a short time left.
New Zealand 2nd Innings – 103/3 (Match Drawn)
New Zealand began their second innings steadily, with Bert Sutcliffe (37)* and John Reid (29*) showing resilience. However, with time running out and wickets in hand, the match ended in a draw, marking a hard-fought and evenly contested opener of the series.
Match Highlights
- India held their ground against a determined New Zealand side in Delhi’s first Test of the series.
- Vijay Manjrekar (92 & 51) and Polly Umrigar (84 & 63) showcased India’s growing batting depth.
- Subhash Gupte’s 9 wickets (4/71 & 5/90) highlighted his early reputation as a world-class spinner.
- Bert Sutcliffe’s century and steadfast batting underlined New Zealand’s fighting spirit.
- The match ended in a draw, but it was a valuable learning experience for both teams.