An alphabetical recall of Test matches at Manchester, where England and India kicked off their fourth Test battle in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Wednesday
India centurions Vijay Merchant (left) and Syed Mushtaq Ali walk out to bat at Old Trafford, Manchester, on July 25, 1936. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
Abbas. At 20 years and 131 days, Oxford lad Abbas Ali Baig became India’s youngest Indian Test centurion. In the 1959 Test, his second innings 112 placed him in the company of Lala Amarnath, Hanumant Singh as debut centurions against England.
Bedser. Playing only in his second Test, Alec Bedser claimed 11 wickets in the 1946 drawn Test while opening the bowling with England’s Bodyline series bowler Bill Voce.
Capitulated. That’s was India did in the 1952 Test, where they were dismissed for 58 and 82 on one day, to lose by an innings and 207 runs; their first defeat in Manchester.
Doshi. The recently departed Dilip Doshi claimed six of the 10 England wickets to fall in the 1982 Test. A report in the Wisden Cricket Monthly described him as “guileful” and “devoted” while he toiled away for a Test best 6-102.
England. Hosts England have never been beaten by India at Old Trafford across nine Tests. Will the tenth India vs England Test there witness a change in fortunes for the visitors?
Farokh. Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer made Manchester his home and the stand named after him is an apt honour for the ‘Lancastrian’. Apart from his two Tests in Old Trafford, Engineer will cherish the Roses games he played there against Yorkshire.
Gavaskar. In 1983, when he was asked to write about his 30 Test hundreds till then, Sunil Gavaskar said the one he scored in the 1974 Test was the best. Considering the green conditions, it certainly was.
Hutton. The then England captain, Len Hutton led from the front in the 1952 Test with a first innings century that helped England pile up 347-9 declared. His bowlers did the rest for a massive win.
IIingworth. Another England captain to lead by example at Old Trafford against India. In the 1971 Test, Ray Illingworth top scored with 107 at No. 7. The Test ended up being drawn.
John. Sunil Gavaskar wrote in Sunny Days that England fast bowler John Price bowled him the fastest over he’d faced. It eventuated in his first innings dismissal - caught behind by Alan Knott for a fighting 57 in 1971.
Kumble. India’s most successful spin bowler, Anil Kumble began his Test journey in the 1990 Old Trafford Test. He sent back Allan Lamb, John Morris and Angus Fraser in his first innings and could well have dismissed Graham Gooch when the England captain was on 82 and 97.
Last. India’s last wicket pair of SW Sohoni and DD Hindlekar held on to a draw, warding off the English attack whose team was on the field for the entire day. India faced a 278-run target and finished the Test with 152-9 in 1946.
M The M factor played a big role for India in the second innings of the 1936. Openers Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali scored imperious hundreds.
Narendra Hirwani claimed his best figures (4-174) in an overseas Test in 1990. However, he was at the receiving end of some Allan Lamb, who slammed two sixes in England’s second innings, en route his 109.
Old. How old is the Old Trafford cricket ground in terms of Test cricket? A good 141 years! It is England’s second ‘senior most’ ground - four years younger to The Oval and 10 days older to Lord’s.
Prabhakar. While Sachin Tendulkar was churning out his Test century No. 1 in the 1990 Test, Manoj Prabhakar (67 not out) too was battling away to prevent England from winning their second Test in the series.
Quit. A few months before his scintillating hundred in the 1982 Test, Sandeep Patil was all set to quit cricket. Polly Umrigar, the chairman of selectors then tore the resignation letter and Patil on June 27 tore apart the England bowling for an unbeaten 129.
Ravindra. Only all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the current playing squad has played a Test at Old Trafford. And the 2014 Test was not a fruitful one for the current senior pro — a solitary wicket and zero and four with the bat.
Smiths. Two Smiths have scored hundreds for England against India at Old Trafford — future captain MJK ‘Mike’ Smith in 1959 and Robin Smith in 1990.
Trueman. In his debut series, Fred Trueman destroyed India with 8-31 in a first innings score of 58 in the 1952 Test. It’s the best innings analysis by an England fast
bowler in Manchester till date. The Cricketer magazine hailed Trueman who in their words, “shattered the Indians’ spirits and defences beyond repair.”
Umrigar. The pundits reckoned he had a weakness against the English pace bowling. But Polly Umrigar proved them wrong with a second innings hundred in 1959. Before he walked out to bat, Umrigar’s highest Test score in England was 39 in 13 innings.
Vinoo. Four unproductive innings at this ground (0, 5, 4, and 6) in the 1946 and 1952 Tests notwithstanding, Vinoo Mankad claimed five wickets in England’s first innings in 1946. His fellow fifer-taker was Lala Amarnath.
Willis. England captain Bob Willis had to bear the brunt of Sandeep Patil’s Symonds bat. Patil’s sequence of boundaries in Willis’s record-equalling 24-run over was: 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4.
X-Factor. It could well be England’s comeback paceman Jofra Archer. He’s keen as mustard and will be hell bent on dishing out some spicy stuff.
Yearn. India will continue to yearn for their first series win England since 2007. A loss or draw in the ongoing Old Trafford Test will mean another opportunity lost.
Zeroes. Six Indian players got out for ducks in their first innings of the 2014 Test — M Vijay, Pujara, Kohli, Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar and Pankaj Singh, in a total score of 152.
mid-day’s deputy editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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