The final Test of the historic Australia tour of India in 1959–60 unfolded at the iconic Eden Gardens, Calcutta, from 23 to 28 January 1960. With the five-match series finely poised, both teams battled for pride in a gripping contest that ultimately ended in a draw. Batting, bowling, and momentum swung in turns, showcasing resilient performances from India’s batsmen and some commanding innings from Australia’s premier players. What emerged was a match that reflected the rich competitive spirit of Test cricket in the post-war era. ESPN Cricinfo
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Australia, 5th Test |
| Dates | 23–28 January 1960 |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Calcutta |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | Match drawn |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | S.K. Ganguli & N.D. Sane |
| Series | Australia tour of India, 1959–60 |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | Australia (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | Les Favell |
| Nari Contractor | Wally Grout (wk) |
| Pankaj Roy | Neil Harvey |
| Bapu Nadkarni | Norm O’Neill |
| Ramnath Kenny | Peter Burge |
| Coimbatarao Gopinath | Colin McDonald |
| Chandu Borde | Ken Mackay |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | Ray Lindwall |
| Motganhalli Jaisimha | Alan Davidson |
| Ramakant Desai | Richie Benaud (c) |
| Jasubhai Patel | Ian Meckiff |
India 1st Innings – 194 all out
India chose to bat on a flat Eden Gardens pitch. After an early stand, the Australian bowling attack struck repeatedly. Coimbatarao Gopinath’s 39 was a standout effort, while Budhi Kunderan provided a brisk start.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | 12 | b Mackay |
| Nari Contractor | 36 | b Benaud |
| Pankaj Roy | 33 | c Grout b Davidson |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 2 | c Burge b Lindwall |
| Ramnath Kenny | 7 | c Grout b Lindwall |
| Coimbatarao Gopinath | 39 | b Benaud |
| Chandu Borde | 6 | b Benaud |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | 12 | b Davidson |
| Motganhalli Jaisimha | 20* | not out |
| Ramakant Desai | 17 | c Grout b Davidson |
| Jasubhai Patel | 0 | run out |
| Extras | 10 | |
| Total | 194 all out |
Top Australia Bowlers: Richie Benaud 3/59, Alan Davidson 3/37, Ray Lindwall 2/44. Cricbuzz
Australia 1st Innings – 331 all out
Australia responded strongly. Norm O’Neill’s century (113) was the innings’ backbone, with support from Peter Burge (60). India’s bowling attack managed to keep Australia in check at times through Ramakant Desai’s 4/111 and Jasubhai Patel’s 3/104.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Les Favell | 26 | b Desai |
| Wally Grout (wk) | 50 | b Patel |
| Neil Harvey | 17 | c Jaisimha b Patel |
| Norm O’Neill | 113 | c Kunderan b Desai |
| Peter Burge | 60 | b Desai |
| Colin McDonald | 27 | lbw b Borde |
| Ken Mackay | 18 | b Patel |
| Ray Lindwall | 10 | c Kunderan b Desai |
| Alan Davidson | 4 | b Borde |
| Richie Benaud (c) | 3 | c & b Borde |
| Ian Meckiff | 0* | not out |
| Extras | 3 | |
| Total | 331 all out |
Top India Bowlers: Desai 4/111, Patel 3/104, Borde 3/23. Cricbuzz
India 2nd Innings – 339 all out
India displayed excellent resolve in their second innings. Motganhalli Jaisimha’s 74, Chandu Borde’s 50, and Ramnath Kenny’s 62 were the core contributions that helped India recover from an early position. Nari Contractor and Pankaj Roy added valuable runs too.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Budhi Kunderan (wk) | 0 | b Davidson |
| Nari Contractor | 30 | c Davidson b Benaud |
| Pankaj Roy | 39 | lbw b Benaud |
| Motganhalli Jaisimha | 74 | b Mackay |
| Coimbatarao Gopinath | 0 | c Grout b Benaud |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 29 | c Grout b Lindwall |
| Chandu Borde | 50 | b Meckiff |
| Ramnath Kenny | 62 | c Grout b Mackay |
| Gulabrai Ramchand (c) | 9 | b Benaud |
| Ramakant Desai | 17* | not out |
| Jasubhai Patel | 12 | c Benaud b Davidson |
| Extras | 17 | |
| Total | 339 all out |
Top Australia Bowlers: Richie Benaud 4/103, Davidson 2/76, Mackay 2/36. Cricbuzz
Australia 2nd Innings – 121/2 declared
Chasing a modest target, Australia finished comfortably. Les Favell remained unbeaten on 62, and Neil Harvey added 36 before being dismissed by Contractor.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Les Favell | 62* | not out |
| Colin McDonald | 6 | run out |
| Neil Harvey | 36 | c & b Contractor |
| Richie Benaud (c) | 10* | not out |
| Extras | 7 | |
| Total | 121/2 |
Bowlers: N. Contractor 1/9, Borde 1/45, Nadkarni 0/10, Jas. Patel 0/15. Cricbuzz
Match Result
The match ended in a draw after five days of competitive play, with both sides showcasing resilience and character across four innings of high-quality Test cricket. ESPN Cricinfo
Highlights of the Match
- India set the tone with a spirited second innings of 339, anchored by key contributions from Jaisimha, Borde and Kenny.
- Norm O’Neill’s superb 113 was the standout individual performance of the match.
- Richie Benaud was influential with both bat and ball, finishing as one of Australia’s key performers.
- Eden Gardens witnessed fluctuating fortunes, making this draw a testament to balanced competition.
- Australia secured the series 2–1 despite the drawn finale. en.wikipedia.org