The summer of 1959 marked another demanding chapter in India’s long and testing tour of England. Playing at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, India faced an English side rich in experience and discipline, led by Peter May. For India, captained by Polly Umrigar, this Test was an opportunity to assert resilience after a difficult start to the series.
What unfolded over three days was a classic example of English efficiency, tight bowling, patient batting, and complete control, resulting in a convincing victory that reinforced England’s dominance at home during the era.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | England vs India, 2nd Test |
| Dates | June 18-20, 1959 |
| Venue | Lord’s, London |
| Toss | India won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | England won by 8 wickets |
| Match Format | 5-day Test Match |
| Umpires | D. E. Davies & C. S. Elliott |
| Significance | Second Test of India’s 1959 tour of England |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | England (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | Colin Milton |
| Nari Contractor | Ken Taylor |
| Polly Umrigar (c) | Colin Cowdrey |
| Vijay Manjrekar | Peter May (c) |
| Jayasinghrao Ghorpade | Ken Barrington |
| Amritsar Kripal Singh | M. J. Horton |
| M. L. Jaisimha | Tom Evans (wk) |
| P. G. Joshi (wk) | Fred Trueman |
| R. Surendranath | Brian Statham |
| Subhash Gupte | Alec Moss |
| Ramakant Desai | Tony Greenhough |
India 1st Innings – 168 all out
India elected to bat first but found conditions at Lord’s challenging against disciplined English bowling. Nari Contractor produced a brave and elegant innings, scoring a fine 81, while Jayasinghrao Ghorpade offered solid support with 41.
The rest of the batting struggled against accuracy and movement, particularly from Tony Greenhough, whose incisive spell dismantled the lower order. India were bowled out for 168.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 5 | c Evans b Greenhough |
| Nari Contractor | 81 | c Cowdrey b Greenhough |
| Polly Umrigar (c) | 6 | b Statham |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 11 | c Taylor b Horton |
| Jayasinghrao Ghorpade | 41 | b Greenhough |
| Amritsar Kripal Singh | 3 | c Evans b Statham |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 2 | lbw b Greenhough |
| P. G. Joshi (wk) | 5 | c Evans b Horton |
| R. Surendranath | 3 | b Greenhough |
| Subhash Gupte | 4 | c Barrington b Statham |
| Ramakant Desai | 1* | not out |
| Extras | 6 | |
| Total | 168 all out |
England 1st Innings – 226 all out
England replied with composure. Ken Barrington once again demonstrated his reliability with a top score of 80, while Colin Cowdrey and Peter May contributed valuable runs.
India’s bowlers fought back admirably, led by Ramakant Desai, whose five-wicket haul kept England’s lead manageable. England were dismissed for 226, securing a lead of 58 runs.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Colin Milton | 14 | b Desai |
| Ken Taylor | 6 | lbw b Desai |
| Colin Cowdrey | 33 | c Joshi b Gupte |
| Peter May (c) | 40 | c Contractor b Desai |
| Ken Barrington | 80 | c Manjrekar b Desai |
| M. J. Horton | 17 | b Surendranath |
| Tom Evans (wk) | 10 | c Joshi b Desai |
| Fred Trueman | 5 | b Surendranath |
| Brian Statham | 8 | b Gupte |
| Alec Moss | 6 | c Jaisimha b Surendranath |
| Tony Greenhough | 2* | not out |
| Extras | 5 | |
| Total | 226 all out |
India 2nd Innings – 165 all out
India needed a strong response but once again struggled for consistency. Vijay Manjrekar played a composed innings of 61, while Kripal Singh added a fighting 41.
England’s bowlers, particularly Brian Statham and Fred Trueman, maintained relentless pressure, ensuring India were dismissed for 165.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 1 | b Trueman |
| Nari Contractor | 10 | c Evans b Moss |
| Polly Umrigar (c) | 9 | lbw b Statham |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 61 | c Cowdrey b Trueman |
| Jayasinghrao Ghorpade | 7 | b Moss |
| Amritsar Kripal Singh | 41 | c Evans b Statham |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 2 | lbw b Trueman |
| P. G. Joshi (wk) | 4 | c Evans b Statham |
| R. Surendranath | 5 | b Moss |
| Subhash Gupte | 4 | c Barrington b Trueman |
| Ramakant Desai | 1* | not out |
| Extras | 20 | |
| Total | 165 all out |
England 2nd Innings – 108/2
Chasing just 108, England completed the task with ease. Colin Cowdrey remained unbeaten on 63, while captain Peter May supported him with a calm 33*, sealing victory with eight wickets in hand.
England won by 8 wickets
Highlights of the Match
- England’s disciplined bowling dominated both Indian innings.
- Nari Contractor’s 81 stood out as India’s finest batting effort.
- Ken Barrington’s 80 anchored England’s first innings.
- Ramakant Desai’s five-wicket haul was India’s standout bowling performance.
- Colin Cowdrey’s unbeaten 63 calmly guided England to victory.
- The match highlighted India’s continued struggle in English conditions during the 1950s.