The 5th Test of the 1960–61 India vs Pakistan series at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, played from 8–13 February 1961, remains a memorable chapter in the storied rivalry between the two neighbours. After four earlier matches in the series produced hard-fought draws, this final Test also ended without a result, yet was rich with exceptional individual performances and run-heavy batting displays that captured the imagination of cricket fans on both sides of the border.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Pakistan vs India, 5th Test |
| Dates | 8–13 February 1961 |
| Venue | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | Match Drawn |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | I. Gopalakrishnan & S. K. Raghunatha Rao |
| Series | Pakistan tour of India, 1960–61 |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | Pakistan (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Motganhalli Jaisimha | Hanif Mohammad |
| Nari Contractor | Imtiaz Ahmed (wk) |
| Rusi Surti | Saeed Ahmed |
| Vijay Manjrekar | Javed Burki |
| Polly Umrigar (c) | Wallis Mathias |
| Chandu Borde | Mushtaq Mohammad |
| A. G. Milkha Singh | Intikhab Alam |
| Bapu Nadkarni | Fazal Mahmood |
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | Mahmood Hussain |
| Ramakant Desai | Haseeb Ahsan |
| Vaman Kumar | Mohammad Farooq |
India 1st Innings – 463 all out
India’s first innings was a spectacular batting display. Polly Umrigar led the charge with a commanding 112, while Nari Contractor posted a superb 92, and Rusi Surti contributed a strong 64. Support from Chandu Borde (45) and A. G. Milkha Singh (35) helped India post a total of 463. IMG Cricket
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Motganhalli Jaisimha | 27 | b Mohammad Farooq |
| Nari Contractor | 92 | c & b Intikhab Alam |
| Rusi Surti | 64 | c Imtiaz Ahmed b Fazal Mahmood |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 18 | c Wallis Mathias b Haseeb Ahsan |
| Polly Umrigar (c) | 112 | b Fazal Mahmood |
| Chandu Borde | 45 | c Imtiaz Ahmed b Mohammad Farooq |
| A. G. Milkha Singh | 35 | b Mahmood Hussain |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 21 | b Fazal Mahmood |
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | 12* | not out |
| Ramakant Desai | 3 | b Mahmood Hussain |
| Vaman Kumar | 6 | b Mahmood Hussain |
| Extras | 28 | (b6, lb13, nb9) |
| Total | 463 all out | (158 overs) |
Bowling figures (Pakistan):
Mahmood Hussain 3/115; Fazal Mahmood 3/86; Mohammad Farooq 2/101; Haseeb Ahsan 1/57; Intikhab Alam 1/76. IMG Cricket
Pakistan 1st Innings – 286 all out
In reply, Pakistan were dismissed for 286. Javed Burki was the standout with 61, and Mushtaq Mohammad impressed with 101 in the second innings (below). Imtiaz Ahmed also chipped in with useful contributions. IMG Cricket
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Hanif Mohammad | 1 | c Milkha Singh b Desai |
| Imtiaz Ahmed (wk) | 25 | b Vaman Kumar |
| Saeed Ahmed | 36 | c Umrigar b Nadkarni |
| Javed Burki | 61 | c Manjrekar b Desai |
| Wallis Mathias | 10 | c Nadkarni b Vaman Kumar |
| Mushtaq Mohammad | 101 | c Kumar b Desai |
| Intikhab Alam | 0 | b Desai |
| Fazal Mahmood | 13 | c Nadkarni b Kumar |
| Mahmood Hussain | 20 | lbw b Kumar |
| Haseeb Ahsan | 5 | b Kumar |
| Mohammad Farooq | 0* | not out |
| Extras | 14 | |
| Total | 286 all out | (125.5 overs) |
Bowling figures (India):
Desai 4/102; Kumar 5/64; Nadkarni 1/24. IMG Cricket
Pakistan 2nd Innings – 250 all out (Following On)
Pakistan followed on and managed 250, with Hanif Mohammad scoring 44, Imtiaz Ahmed 53, and Mushtaq Mohammad 22. IMG Cricket
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Hanif Mohammad | 44 | b Desai |
| Imtiaz Ahmed (wk) | 53 | lbw b Nadkarni |
| Saeed Ahmed | 31 | c & b Kumar |
| Javed Burki | 8 | c & b Kumar |
| Wallis Mathias | 2 | c Borde b Nadkarni |
| Mushtaq Mohammad | 22 | lbw b Desai |
| Intikhab Alam | 10 | b Kumar |
| Fazal Mahmood | 18 | b Desai |
| Mahmood Hussain | 35 | b Nadkarni |
| Haseeb Ahsan | 6 | b Desai |
| Mohammad Farooq | 14* | not out |
| Extras | 7 | |
| Total | 250 all out | (127.4 overs) |
Bowling figures (India):
Nadkarni 4/43; Desai 4/88; Kumar 2/68. IMG Cricket
India 2nd Innings – 16/0
Chasing a nominal target of 74 from Pakistan’s second innings, India scored 16/0 before the match concluded in a draw. ML Jaisimha was unbeaten on 14, with Budhi Kunderan on 1. IMG Cricket
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| ML Jaisimha | 14* | not out |
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | 1* | not out |
| Extras | 1 | (nb1) |
| Total | 16/0 | (2 overs) |
Match Highlights
- A high-scoring opening innings powered by Umrigar, Contractor and Surti set the tone. IMG Cricket
- Polly Umrigar’s century and Nari Contractor’s 92 were the backbone of India’s total. IMG Cricket
- Pakistan’s Mushtaq Mohammad’s 101 was a standout effort. IMG Cricket
- Desai and Nadkarni were India’s most effective bowlers in both Pakistani innings. IMG Cricket
- Despite substantial batting from both sides, neither team could force a result.