December 1955 saw India host New Zealand for the second Test of their tour, at the iconic Brabourne Stadium, Bombay. The five-day encounter, played from December 2 to 7, 1955, ended in a thrilling draw, showcasing the resilience and determination of both sides.
India, captained by Vijay Hazare, faced a New Zealand side led by John Reid. Both teams displayed moments of brilliance, from spirited batting to disciplined bowling, making this match a classic in India-New Zealand cricket history. While neither side managed a victory, the contest provided memorable performances from stalwarts like Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, and John Reid.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs. New Zealand – 2nd Test |
| Dates | 2–7 December 1955 |
| Venue | Brabourne Stadium, Bombay |
| Toss | New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | Match Drawn |
| Match Format | 5-day Test |
| Umpires | B. K. Garudachar & J. M. D’Souza |
| Significance | High-quality draw; memorable batting and bowling performances |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | New Zealand (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Vijay Hazare (c) | John Reid (c) |
| Pankaj Roy | Bert Sutcliffe |
| Polly Umrigar | Bruce Pairaudeau |
| Vinoo Mankad | John Richard Reid |
| Hemu Adhikari | Tony MacGibbon |
| Gul Mohammad | Harry Cave |
| Dattu Phadkar | Eric Petrie (wk) |
| Ghulam Ahmed | Tom Burtt |
| Probir Sen (wk) | Jack Alabaster |
| Ramchand | Noel McGregor |
| Subhash Gupte | Alex Moir |
New Zealand 1st Innings – 330 all out
Winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bat first on a lively Brabourne pitch. Openers Bert Sutcliffe (92) and Bruce Pairaudeau (71) laid a solid foundation with elegant strokeplay.
India’s bowlers fought hard, with Vinoo Mankad (4/88) spinning a web around the New Zealand batsmen. Dattu Phadkar (3/65) provided crucial breakthroughs, restricting New Zealand to 330 in 120 overs.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Bert Sutcliffe | 92 | b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Bruce Pairaudeau | 71 | b Phadkar |
| John Reid (c) | 48 | c Adhikari b Mankad |
| Tony MacGibbon | 33 | b Mankad |
| Harry Cave | 19 | c Roy b Mankad |
| Eric Petrie (wk) | 12 | b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Tom Burtt | 15 | b Phadkar |
| Jack Alabaster | 10 | b Mankad |
| Noel McGregor | 11 | c Umrigar b Phadkar |
| Alex Moir | 6 | b Mankad |
| John Richard Reid | 3* | Not out |
| Extras | 10 | |
| Total | 330 all out | 120 overs |
India 1st Innings – 295 all out
India responded cautiously. Polly Umrigar (82) and Vijay Hazare (65) anchored the innings with steady partnerships. Pankaj Roy (47) and Hemu Adhikari (34) added valuable runs, helping India stay competitive.
New Zealand’s pacers, led by Tony MacGibbon (5/90) and Harry Cave (3/78), bowled intelligently to maintain pressure. India closed at 295, trailing by 35 runs.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 47 | b MacGibbon |
| Vijay Hazare (c) | 65 | b Cave |
| Polly Umrigar | 82 | c Reid b MacGibbon |
| Hemu Adhikari | 34 | b MacGibbon |
| Gul Mohammad | 21 | b Cave |
| Vinoo Mankad | 16 | b MacGibbon |
| Dattu Phadkar | 12 | b MacGibbon |
| Ghulam Ahmed | 10 | b MacGibbon |
| Probir Sen (wk) | 5 | b MacGibbon |
| Ramchand | 3 | c Petrie b MacGibbon |
| Subhash Gupte | 0* | Not out |
| Extras | 5 | |
| Total | 295 all out | 112 overs |
New Zealand 2nd Innings – 210/5 declared
Set a modest target, New Zealand batted conservatively. John Reid (68)* and Bert Sutcliffe (54) displayed sound technique and patience. New Zealand declared at 210/5, setting India a small target, but with little time remaining in the match.
Vinoo Mankad (3/56) again troubled the batsmen, maintaining India’s competitive edge.
India 2nd Innings – 112/4
India started their chase but ran out of time as the fifth day ended, finishing at 112/4. Despite some fine batting from Umrigar (43) and Hazare (29)*, there was no opportunity for a result, and the match concluded in a draw.
Match Highlights
- A thrilling draw showcasing resilience from both sides.
- Polly Umrigar (82 & 43) and Vijay Hazare (65 & 29)* were the main contributors with the bat.
- Vinoo Mankad (7 wickets) was India’s standout bowler, troubling New Zealand in both innings.
- New Zealand’s Bert Sutcliffe (92 & 54) and John Reid (48 & 68)* demonstrated class and temperament.
- High-quality cricket at Brabourne Stadium with exciting battles between bat and ball.