The 1960-61 Test series between India and Pakistan was a tightly contested affair of endurance and technique across five matches in India. The third Test, played at the iconic Eden Gardens in Calcutta (now Kolkata) from 30 December 1960 to 4 January 1961, ended in a hard-fought draw– a match rich in strategic battles between bat and ball on a pitch that offered something for everyone. ESPN Cricinfo
Venue & Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Pakistan, 3rd Test |
| Dates | 30 Dec 1960 – 4 Jan 1961 |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Calcutta, India |
| Toss | Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first |
| Result | Match Drawn |
| Match Format | 5-day Test |
| Umpires | S.K. Ganguli & B. Satyaji Rao |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | Pakistan (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Nari Contractor (c) | Hanif Mohammad |
| M. L. Jaisimha | Imtiaz Ahmed (wk) |
| Abbas Ali Baig | Saeed Ahmed |
| Polly Umrigar | Javed Burki |
| Vijay Manjrekar | Wallis Mathias |
| Chandu Borde | Mushtaq Mohammad |
| R. G. Nadkarni | Nasim-ul-Ghani |
| Ramakant Desai | Intikhab Alam |
| N. S. Tamhane (wk) | Fazal Mahmood |
| Surendranath | Mahmood Hussain |
| Subhash Gupte | Haseeb Ahsan |
Pakistan 1st Innings – 301 all out
Pakistan’s innings began against India’s seamers and spinners on a pitch that looked to assist both disciplines. Hanif Mohammad top-scored with 56, while Mushtaq Mohammad provided valuable resistance with 61. India’s bowlers, especially Surendranath (4/93) and Chandu Borde (4/21), counter-attacked effectively to keep Pakistan to 301.
| Batter | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Hanif Mohammad | 56 | c Baig b Desai |
| Imtiaz Ahmed (wk) | 9 | b Surendranath |
| Saeed Ahmed | 41 | c Nadkarni b Surendranath |
| Javed Burki | 48 | lbw b Borde |
| Wallis Mathias | 8 | c Umrigar b Desai |
| Mushtaq Mohammad | 61 | c Jaisimha b Borde |
| Nasim-ul-Ghani | 0 | b Surendranath |
| Intikhab Alam | 56 | c Tamhane b Surendranath |
| Fazal Mahmood | 8 | lbw b Borde |
| Mahmood Hussain | 4 | b Borde |
| Haseeb Ahsan | 1* | not out |
| Extras | 9 | |
| Total | 301 all out |
Indian Bowlers:
Desai 2/118, Surendranath 4/93, Borde 4/21, Umrigar 0/15, Gupte 0/41, Nadkarni 0/4.
India 1st Innings – 180 all out
India’s reply saw contributions from several batsmen but no substantial innings. M. L. Jaisimha made 28 and Nari Contractor 25, while Pakistan’s bowling was led by Fazal Mahmood (5/26) and Mahmood Hussain (2/56) to restrict India to 180.
| Batter | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Nari Contractor | 25 | b Intikhab Alam |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 28 | c Mathias b Mahmood Hussain |
| Abbas Ali Baig | 19 | b Intikhab Alam |
| Polly Umrigar | 1 | c Imtiaz Ahmed b Mahmood Hussain |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 29 | b Fazal Mahmood |
| Chandu Borde | 44 | c Imtiaz Ahmed b Fazal Mahmood |
| R. G. Nadkarni | 1 | c Imtiaz Ahmed b Fazal Mahmood |
| Ramakant Desai | 14 | b Haseeb Ahsan |
| N. S. Tamhane (wk) | 0 | c Intikhab Alam b Fazal Mahmood |
| Surendranath | 5* | not out |
| Subhash Gupte | 0 | b Fazal Mahmood |
| Extras | 14 | |
| Total | 180 all out |
Pakistani Bowlers:
Fazal Mahmood 5/26, Intikhab Alam 2/35, Mahmood Hussain 2/56, Haseeb Ahsan 1/17.
Pakistan 2nd Innings – 146/3 declared
Pakistan declared their second innings at 146/3, with Hanif Mohammad unbeaten on 63, after building a solid platform. Javed Burki added 42 before being run out, and India’s bowlers shared wickets.
| Batter | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Hanif Mohammad | 63* | not out |
| Imtiaz Ahmed (wk) | 9 | b Desai |
| Saeed Ahmed | 13 | lbw b Surendranath |
| Javed Burki | 42 | run out |
| Intikhab Alam | 11* | not out |
| Extras | 8 | |
| Total | 146/3 declared |
India 2nd Innings – 127/4 (Match Drawn)
Chasing a target of 268 to win, India reached 127/4 when play ended in a draw. Vijay Manjrekar led the charge with 45, supported by Nari Contractor (12) and others. Patience prevailed as neither side could force a result by stumps on the final day.
| Batter | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Nari Contractor | 12 | c Fazal Mahmood b Haseeb Ahsan |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 26 | c Mathias b Intikhab Alam |
| Abbas Ali Baig | 1 | b Haseeb Ahsan |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 45* | not out |
| Polly Umrigar | 4 | b Intikhab Alam |
| Chandu Borde | 23* | not out |
| Extras | 16 | |
| Total | 127/4 |
Highlights of the Match
- Pakistan set the tone with 301 in the first innings, guided by solid half-centuries.
- Fazal Mahmood’s 5-wicket haul was the standout bowling performance of the match.
- India’s batting was resilient but lacked a big partnership to take control.
- Hanif Mohammad was a key figure in both Pakistani innings with unbeaten knocks.
- The match ended in a draw, keeping the 5-Test series evenly poised.
