The Madras Test of February 1952 stands as one of the greatest landmarks in Indian cricket history. Played at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (then “Madras Cricket Club Ground”), this match delivered a moment that changed Indian cricket forever: India’s first Test match victory.
After years of struggle, near misses, and learning experiences since their debut in 1932, India entered the final Test of the 1951–52 England tour determined to rewrite history. Led by the calm and tactical leadership of Vijay Hazare, the team came into Madras with confidence after a strong fight in Delhi and Kanpur. What followed was a complete, disciplined, and dominant performance by Indian cricket.
The match became iconic for the extraordinary bowling of Vinoo Mankad, whose left-arm spin dismantled England across both innings, supported by brilliant spells from Ghulam Ahmed and Dattu Phadkar. India’s first-innings batting display, led by Pankaj Roy’s gritty fifty and strong partnerships across the order, gave them full control.
England, captained by the legendary Donald Carr, simply could not match India’s intensity on a turning Madras track. The hosts executed every session with maturity, ultimately winning by an inning and 8 runs, a moment engraved forever in cricketing memory.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs England, 5th Test |
| Dates | February 6–10, 1952 |
| Venue | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Madras |
| Toss | England won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | India won by an innings and 8 runs |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | R. L. Sharma & M. Gopalan |
| Series Situation | India won the 5-match series 2–1 |
| Significance | India’s First-Ever Test Victory (since debut in 1932) |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | England (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Vijay Hazare (Captain) | Donald Carr (Captain) |
| Pankaj Roy | Reg Simpson |
| Datta Gaekwad | Dick Spooner (wk) |
| Polly Umrigar | Brian Taylor |
| Vinoo Mankad | Tom Graveney |
| Dattu Phadkar | Peter May |
| Ghulam Ahmed | Allan Watkins |
| Probir Sen (wk) | Freddie Brown |
| Ramchand | Jim Warr |
| Gopalaswamy Kasturirangan | Malcolm Hilton |
| C. D. Gopinath | Bob Appleyard (12th Man) |
England 1st Innings – 266 all out
England, having chosen to bat, started steadily but soon came under pressure from the spinning duo of Vinoo Mankad and Ghulam Ahmed. Reg Simpson’s confident 52 and a stylish 42 from Tom Graveney were the only major contributions as India kept striking at regular intervals.
The pitch at Madras began assisting turn early, and the Indian bowlers exploited it perfectly. Mankad’s relentless accuracy earned him 5 wickets, his first major strike of the match.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Reg Simpson | 52 | c Sen b Mankad |
| Dick Spooner (wk) | 42 | c Gopinath b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Brian Taylor | 18 | b Mankad |
| Tom Graveney | 42 | c Ramchand b Phadkar |
| Peter May | 35 | lbw b Mankad |
| Allan Watkins | 20 | c Hazare b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Freddie Brown | 10 | b Mankad |
| Donald Carr (c) | 0 | b Phadkar |
| Jim Warr | 8 | c Sen b Mankad |
| Malcolm Hilton | 2 | not out |
| Extras | 37 | |
| Total | 266 all out | (94.5 overs) |
Best Bowling (India):
- Vinoo Mankad – 5/53
- Ghulam Ahmed – 2/59
- Dattu Phadkar – 2/42
India 1st Innings – 457 all out
India produced one of their most disciplined batting efforts of the early Test era. Pankaj Roy led the charge with a patient 110, crafting the innings with technical excellence. Useful contributions came from Datta Gaekwad, Hazare, and Umrigar, ensuring that India took a strong lead.
But the real turning point came through the lower-order resistance. Ghulam Ahmed (50) and Mankad (34) frustrated England and stretched India’s lead to a commanding 191 runs.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 110 | c Simpson b Warr |
| Datta Gaekwad | 48 | c Taylor b Hilton |
| Vijay Hazare (c) | 42 | c Graveney b Watkins |
| Polly Umrigar | 69 | c Brown b Hilton |
| C. D. Gopinath | 35 | b Hilton |
| Dattu Phadkar | 22 | b Warr |
| Vinoo Mankad | 34 | c Carr b Brown |
| Ghulam Ahmed | 50 | c Taylor b Watkins |
| Ramchand | 18 | b Hilton |
| Probir Sen (wk) | 12 | not out |
| Kasturirangan | 5 | c Simpson b Warr |
| Extras | 12 | |
| Total | 457 all out | (150 overs) |
Best Bowling (England):
- Malcolm Hilton – 4/113
- Jim Warr – 3/85
- Allan Watkins – 2/76
England 2nd Innings -157 all out
Facing a massive deficit of 191, England wilted under pressure against the irresistible spin of Vinoo Mankad, who produced one of the greatest bowling spells in Indian Test history.
England collapsed spectacularly – losing 7 wickets for just 57 runs. Only Tom Graveney (31) showed brief resistance.
Mankad finished with match-winning figures of 8/55, and India wrapped up the innings with ease.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Reg Simpson | 16 | c Roy b Mankad |
| Dick Spooner (wk) | 21 | b Mankad |
| Brian Taylor | 10 | c Umrigar b Phadkar |
| Tom Graveney | 31 | c Gopinath b Mankad |
| Peter May | 12 | lbw b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Allan Watkins | 6 | b Mankad |
| Freddie Brown | 15 | c Sen b Ghulam Ahmed |
| Donald Carr (c) | 0 | lbw b Mankad |
| Jim Warr | 14 | c Roy b Mankad |
| Malcolm Hilton | 5 | c Hazare b Mankad |
| Extras | 17 | |
| Total | 157 all out | (65 overs) |
Best Bowling (India):
- Vinoo Mankad – 8/55
- Ghulam Ahmed – 2/32
Result of the Match
India won by an innings and 8 runs
India registered their first-ever Test victory after 20 long years of international cricket.
Highlights of the Match
- India’s first Test win since their debut in 1932.
- Vinoo Mankad’s legendary match figures: 13 wickets (5/53 & 8/55).
- Pankaj Roy’s magnificent 110 set the tone for India’s massive total.
- England struggled badly on the turning Madras pitch.
- India dominated all three departments — batting, bowling, and fielding.
- The Madras crowd witnessed a historic moment that changed Indian cricket forever.
- India sealed the series 2-1, their first-ever Test series victory as well.