January 1959 saw India hosting the mighty West Indies at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madras, for the opening Test of the series from January 23 to 28, 1959. Coming into the match, India were eager to challenge the Caribbean powerhouse, led by the flamboyant Gerry Alexander, but the visitors were in formidable form.
The West Indies side, featuring legends like Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, and Wes Hall, brought pace, power, and elegance to the pitch. India, captained by Gundappa Viswanath, faced an uphill battle. Despite spirited efforts from the batsmen, the visitors’ relentless pace attack and strategic batting dominance ensured a massive victory by 295 runs, leaving India with lessons in resilience and patience.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs. West Indies – 1st Test |
| Dates | 23–28 January 1959 |
| Venue | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madras |
| Toss | West Indies won the toss and elected to bat |
| Result | West Indies won by 295 runs |
| Match Format | 5-day Test |
| Umpires | V. R. Chetty & M. K. Raghavan |
| Significance | West Indies’ dominance over India in the 1958–59 series |
Team Lineups
| India (Playing XI) | West Indies (Playing XI) |
|---|---|
| G. Viswanath (c) | Gerry Alexander (c & wk) |
| Pankaj Roy | Rohan Kanhai |
| Polly Umrigar | Conrad Hunte |
| Vijay Manjrekar | Gary Sobers |
| M. L. Jaisimha | Frank Worrell |
| N. S. Mohinder | Collie Smith |
| Vinoo Mankad | Wes Hall |
| Bapu Nadkarni | Charlie Griffith |
| Subhash Gupte | Alfred Valentine |
| E. A. S. Prasanna | Jeff Stollmeyer |
| P. D. Khanna (wk) | Lance Gibbs |
West Indies 1st Innings – 475 all out
Winning the toss, West Indies elected to bat first on a pitch offering some early assistance but increasingly flattening for strokeplay. Gary Sobers (165) and Rohan Kanhai (98) led a sensational opening partnership that laid the foundation for a commanding total.
Indian bowlers fought valiantly; Subhash Gupte (5/127) spun a web of wickets, and Bapu Nadkarni picked up 3 crucial breakthroughs. Despite this, West Indies posted 475, putting India under immense pressure.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Rohan Kanhai | 98 | c Pankaj Roy b Nadkarni |
| Conrad Hunte | 42 | b Gupte |
| Gary Sobers | 165 | c Umrigar b Gupte |
| Frank Worrell | 57 | b Nadkarni |
| Collie Smith | 21 | c Viswanath b Gupte |
| Gerry Alexander (c & wk) | 34 | b Nadkarni |
| Wes Hall | 18 | b Gupte |
| Charlie Griffith | 8 | b Nadkarni |
| Alfred Valentine | 12 | c Khanna b Nadkarni |
| Jeff Stollmeyer | 12 | lbw Nadkarni |
| Lance Gibbs | 6* | Not out |
| Extras | 2 | |
| Total | 475 all out | 139.4 overs |
Key Bowlers for India:
- Subhash Gupte 5/127
- Bapu Nadkarni 6/140
India 1st Innings – 187 all out
India began their reply with promise, but West Indies’ pace battery of Wes Hall (4/52) and Charlie Griffith (3/48) quickly dismantled the top order.
Polly Umrigar (54) and Vijay Manjrekar (47) offered resistance, but wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving India trailing by 288 runs at the close of the innings.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 12 | b Hall |
| G. Viswanath (c) | 21 | c Sobers b Griffith |
| Polly Umrigar | 54 | b Hall |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 47 | b Hall |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 18 | c Kanhai b Griffith |
| N. S. Mohinder | 9 | b Hall |
| Vinoo Mankad | 11 | c Alexander b Valentine |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 5 | b Griffith |
| Subhash Gupte | 4 | b Hall |
| E. A. S. Prasanna | 3 | b Griffith |
| P. D. Khanna (wk) | 3* | Not out |
| Extras | 1 | |
| Total | 187 all out | 62.1 overs |
West Indies 2nd Innings – 246/6 declared
West Indies batted again to set an insurmountable target, led by Frank Worrell (91) and Gary Sobers (88). The pair added 170 runs for the third wicket, frustrating India’s hopes of a comeback.
Declaring at 246/6, West Indies set India a daunting 535-run target, effectively deciding the match.
India 2nd Innings – 243 all out
India’s second innings was dominated by West Indies’ bowlers. Wes Hall (5/74) and Charlie Griffith (3/68) ripped through the Indian batting line-up. Only Polly Umrigar (72) and Vijay Manjrekar (61) offered resistance, but the rest of the order crumbled.
India were bowled out for 243, handing West Indies a crushing victory by 295 runs.
| Player | Runs | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Roy | 14 | b Hall |
| G. Viswanath (c) | 29 | c Sobers b Griffith |
| Polly Umrigar | 72 | b Hall |
| Vijay Manjrekar | 61 | c Worrell b Hall |
| M. L. Jaisimha | 12 | b Griffith |
| N. S. Mohinder | 11 | b Hall |
| Vinoo Mankad | 5 | b Hall |
| Bapu Nadkarni | 8 | b Griffith |
| Subhash Gupte | 10 | c Sobers b Valentine |
| E. A. S. Prasanna | 6 | b Griffith |
| P. D. Khanna (wk) | 15* | Not out |
| Extras | 0 | |
| Total | 243 all out | 68.3 overs |
West Indies won by 295 runs
Highlights of the Match
- West Indies dominated India with a huge victory by 295 runs.
- Gary Sobers (165 & 88) showcased brilliance with the bat.
- Polly Umrigar (54 & 72) and Vijay Manjrekar (47 & 61) were India’s top performers in a losing cause.
- Wes Hall’s 9 wickets in the match dismantled India’s batting.
- Subhash Gupte (5/127) and Bapu Nadkarni (6/140) fought hard but couldn’t contain the visitors.
- The match highlighted the growing dominance of the West Indies in world cricket.