The third test of the 1961–62 England tour of India, played at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madras, proved to be one of the most significant matches in Indian cricket history. Coming into the test with the series evenly poised, India seized the moment with a commanding performance to defeat England by 128 runs, moving a step closer to their first-ever Test series victory against England.
Led by Nari Contractor, India combined disciplined batting with relentless bowling on a wearing surface, while England, captained by Ted Dexter, found themselves outplayed in all departments. The Madras Test remains a landmark encounter in India’s rise as a formidable Test nation.
Venue & Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs England, 3rd Test |
| Dates | January 10–15, 1962 |
| Venue | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madras |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | India won by 128 runs |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | S. K. Ganguli & A. R. Joshi |
| Significance | Crucial Test in India’s first series win vs England |
Team Lineups (Playing XI)
| India (Playing XI) | England (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Nari Contractor (c) | Peter Richardson |
| M. L. Jaisimha | Geoff Pullar |
| Vijay Manjrekar | Colin Cowdrey |
| Milkha Singh | Ted Dexter (c) |
| Chandu Borde | Ken Barrington |
| Salim Durani | Brian Close |
| A. G. Kripal Singh | John Murray (wk) |
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | Fred Trueman |
| Ramakant Desai | Brian Statham |
| Vasant Ranjane | Tony Lock |
| V. V. Kumar | David Allen |
India 1st Innings – 380 all out
Batting first on a slow but true Madras surface, India produced one of their finest collective batting efforts of the series. Vijay Manjrekar and Chandu Borde both scored magnificent centuries, dominating England’s bowling with patience and placement.
England’s bowlers fought back late in the innings, but India’s total of 380 gave them a commanding platform.
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Nari Contractor (c) | 35 | c Murray b Trueman |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 17 | lbw b Lock |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 106 | c Cowdrey b Lock |
| Milkha Singh | 10 | b Statham |
| Chandu Borde | 106 | c Pullar b Lock |
| Salim Durani | 28 | c Close b Allen |
| A. G. Kripal Singh | 31 | c Murray b Lock |
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | 14 | c Murray b Trueman |
| Ramakant Desai | 12 | b Trueman |
| Vasant Ranjane | 6 | b Lock |
| V. V. Kumar | 1* | not out |
| Extras | 14 | |
| Total | 380 all out |
Bowling (England):
Tony Lock 4/83, Fred Trueman 3/76, David Allen 2/64
England 1st Innings – 286 all out
England responded with determination, largely due to a monumental innings from Ken Barrington, who once again showed his mastery against spin and pace. However, India’s bowlers, led by Salim Durani and Ramakant Desai, ensured England never truly seized momentum.
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Richardson | 29 | lbw b Desai |
| Geoff Pullar | 15 | c Kunderan b Durani |
| Colin Cowdrey | 41 | c Jaisimha b Desai |
| Ted Dexter (c) | 24 | c Contractor b Ranjane |
| Ken Barrington | 151 | c Borde b Durani |
| Brian Close | 9 | b Desai |
| John Murray (wk) | 6 | c Contractor b Durani |
| Fred Trueman | 4 | b Desai |
| Brian Statham | 3 | b Durani |
| Tony Lock | 2 | b Desai |
| David Allen | 1* | not out |
| Extras | 1 | |
| Total | 286 all out |
Bowling (India):
Ramakant Desai 5/66, Salim Durani 4/86
India 2nd Innings – 199 all out
With a first-innings lead secured, India batted cautiously but purposefully. Chandu Borde and Durani again played key roles, extending India’s advantage and setting England a challenging fourth-innings target.
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Nari Contractor (c) | 12 | c Murray b Trueman |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 38 | lbw b Lock |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 42 | c Cowdrey b Allen |
| Milkha Singh | 7 | b Lock |
| Chandu Borde | 46 | c Pullar b Lock |
| Salim Durani | 32 | c Murray b Trueman |
| A. G. Kripal Singh | 9 | b Allen |
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | 5 | c Murray b Trueman |
| Ramakant Desai | 4 | b Lock |
| Vasant Ranjane | 2 | b Allen |
| V. V. Kumar | 0* | not out |
| Extras | 2 | |
| Total | 199 all out |
England 2nd Innings – 170 all out
Chasing a stiff target, England never recovered from early blows. Salim Durani delivered one of the most decisive spells of the series, using flight and turn to dismantle the batting lineup.
England was bowled out for 170, handing India a famous victory.
| Batsman | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Richardson | 17 | c Kunderan b Durani |
| Geoff Pullar | 11 | lbw b Desai |
| Colin Cowdrey | 28 | c Jaisimha b Durani |
| Ted Dexter (c) | 23 | c Contractor b Durani |
| Ken Barrington | 51 | c Borde b Ranjane |
| Brian Close | 14 | b Desai |
| John Murray (wk) | 6 | c Contractor b Durani |
| Fred Trueman | 8 | b Durani |
| Brian Statham | 7 | b Desai |
| Tony Lock | 3 | b Durani |
| David Allen | 2* | not out |
| Extras | 0 | |
| Total | 170 all out |
Bowling (India):
Salim Durani 6/63, Ramakant Desai 3/41
Result: India won by 128 runs
Highlights of the Match
- India registered a historic home victory against England at Madras.
- Twin centuries from Vijay Manjrekar and Chandu Borde laid the foundation.
- Ken Barrington’s 151 was England’s lone resistance.
- Salim Durani’s match-winning bowling sealed the result in the fourth innings.
- The win played a crucial role in India’s first Test series triumph over England.