The winter of 1959 delivered one of the most unforgettable days in Indian cricket history. At Green Park, Kanpur, India achieved a long-awaited landmark, its first Test victory over Australia, in the 2nd Test of the Australian tour. Led by Gulabrai Ramchand, India fought back from a first-innings deficit to outplay a formidable Australian side captained by Richie Benaud. This Test is cherished for the phenomenal bowling of Jasubhai “Jasu” Patel, whose match haul of 14 wickets turned the contest on its head and secured a famous win for the hosts.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Australia, 2nd Test |
| Dates | 19–24 December 1959 |
| Venue | Green Park, Kanpur |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | India won by 119 runs |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | SK Ganguli & AR Joshi |
| Significance | India’s first Test victory against Australia |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | Australia (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | Colin McDonald |
| Nari Contractor | Gavin Stevens |
| Polly Umrigar | Neil Harvey |
| Abbas Ali Baig | Norm O’Neill |
| Chandu Borde | Ken Mackay |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | Alan Davidson |
| Ramnath Kenny | Richie Benaud (c) |
| Bapu Nadkarni | Barry Jarman (wk) |
| Naren Tamhane (wk) | Lindsay Kline |
| Jasubhai Patel | Ian Meckiff |
| Surendranath | Gordon Rorke |
India 1st Innings – 152 all out
India’s first innings saw early starts but no big score, as the home team was bundled out for 152. Alan Davidson (5/31) and Richie Benaud (4/63) led the Australian attack with disciplined bowling.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 17 | c Harvey b Benaud |
| Nari Contractor | 24 | c Jarman b Benaud |
| Polly Umrigar | 6 | c Davidson b Kline |
| Abbas Ali Baig | 19 | b Davidson |
| Chandu Borde | 20 | c Kline b Davidson |
| Gulabrai Ramchand | 24 | c Mackay b Benaud |
| Ramnath Kenny | 0 | b Davidson |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 25 | c Harvey b Davidson |
| Naren Tamhane † | 1 | b Benaud |
| Jasubhai Patel | 4 | c Kline b Davidson |
| Surendranath | 8* | not out |
| Extras | 4 | |
| Total | 152 all out |
Bowling (Australia): Davidson 20.1-7-31-5; Benaud 25-8-63-4; Kline 15-7-36-1
Australia 1st Innings – 219 all out
Australia replied with a solid contribution from Colin McDonald (53) and Neil Harvey (51), but India’s Jasubhai Patel ran through the batting lineup with a spectacular 9-wicket haul.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Colin McDonald | 53 | b Patel |
| Gavin Stevens | 25 | c & b Patel |
| Neil Harvey | 51 | b Patel |
| Norm O’Neill | 16 | b Borde |
| Ken Mackay | 0 | lbw b Patel |
| Alan Davidson | 41 | b Patel |
| Richie Benaud | 7 | b Patel |
| Barry Jarman † | 1 | lbw b Patel |
| Lindsay Kline | 9 | b Patel |
| Ian Meckiff | 1* | not out |
| Gordon Rorke | 0 | c Baig b Patel |
| Extras | 15 | |
| Total | 219 all out |
Bowling (India): Patel 35.5-16-69-9; Umrigar 15-1-40-1; Borde 15-1-61-1
India 2nd Innings – 291 all out
Following on a small deficit, India responded with much better batting. Nari Contractor top-scored with 74 and Ramnath Kenny contributed 51, steering India to a challenging total.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 8 | c Benaud b Davidson |
| Nari Contractor | 74 | c Harvey b Davidson |
| Polly Umrigar | 14 | c Rorke b Davidson |
| Abbas Ali Baig | 36 | c Harvey b Benaud |
| Chandu Borde | 44 | c O’Neill b Meckiff |
| Gulabrai Ramchand | 5 | b Harvey |
| Ramnath Kenny | 51 | c Jarman b Davidson |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 46 | lbw b Davidson |
| Naren Tamhane † | 0 | c Harvey b Davidson |
| Surendranath | 4* | not out |
| Jasubhai Patel | 0 | b Davidson |
| Extras | 9 | |
| Total | 291 all out |
Bowling (Australia): Davidson 57.3-23-93-7; Benaud 38-15-81-1; Meckiff 18-4-37-1 SportStats
Australia 2nd Innings – 105 all out
Set a target of 225, Australia collapsed under Indian spin. Jasubhai Patel continued his magical form with 5/55, and Polly Umrigar supported him with 4/27 to bowl Australia out for 105.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Colin McDonald | 34 | st Tamhane b Patel |
| Gavin Stevens | 7 | c Kenny b Patel |
| Neil Harvey | 25 | c Nadkarni b Umrigar |
| Norm O’Neill | 5 | c Nadkarni b Umrigar |
| Ken Mackay | 0 | b Umrigar |
| Alan Davidson | 8 | b Patel |
| Richie Benaud | 0 | c Ramchand b Patel |
| Barry Jarman † | 0 | b Umrigar |
| Lindsay Kline | 0 | b Patel |
| Ian Meckiff | 14* | not out |
| Gordon Rorke | 12 | lbw b Patel |
| Extras | 5 | |
| Total | 105 all out |
Bowling (India): Patel 14.4-?-55-5; Umrigar 25.4-11-27-4 SportStats
Match Result
India won by 119 runs — a momentous victory etched in history as the first Test win for India over Australia. ESPN Cricinfo
Highlights of the Match
- India recorded its first Test win against Australia, a breakthrough in the rivalry.
- Jasubhai Patel’s match figures of 14/124 (9/69 + 5/55) were the cornerstone of India’s triumph. Wikipedia
- Australia’s first innings was strong with half-centuries from McDonald and Harvey, but spin turned the game.
- India’s second innings batting depth improved, with key contributions from Contractor and Kenny. Cricket Web
- The victory at Green Park is celebrated as one of India cricket’s earliest historic successes.