England were on a 26-match unbeaten run when India visited them in 1971 for a three-match Test series. They were returning to their home soil for the summer after regaining the Ashes in the previous winter.
The English had started off their summer with a 1-0 series win over Pakistan and were ready to face the Indian team, who had never won a Test match in England. Since their inaugural match in 1932, India had played 19 Tests, out of which just four were drawn and the rest were all won by the English side. Added to this, in their previous two visits, India were whitewashed 5-0 and 3-0, respectively.
Nevertheless, with the likes of a young Sunil Gavaskar and captain Ajit Wadekar in the batting lineup and Bishan Bedi along with Bhagwath Chandrashekhar leading the spin attack, the Indian team looked quite confident as they came to England after a series win in West Indies.
The first one at Lord’s and the second at Old Trafford ended in a draw, with the third and final Test scheduled to be played at The Oval.
England chose to bat after winning the toss and got all out for 355 in the first innings. When India came in to bat, they could manage only 284 runs on the board before getting all out. Though the hosts entered the second innings with a 71-run lead, England fell to their lowest innings total against India back then. Chandrashekhar’s remarkable spell of 6 for 38 pushed England on the back foot and saw them being bowled out for 101.
Watch: Bhagwath Chandrasekhar's 6 for 38 which helped India to win the First Test in England (at The Oval, 1971) #HappyBirthday
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Video: BBC pic.twitter.com/eAAlzX7yvY
With 173 runs needed to win and a day and a half left, India took a steady approach and comfortably reached the target with four wickets to spare. Leading 1-0, India went on to win the series much to everyone’s surprise in the cricketing world.
August 24 was the day, and it will definitely go down as one of the crowning moments in India’s glittering cricketing history. With India sharing an unpleasant political history with the hosts, having served as a British colony for almost 200 years till 1947, this Test win became a classic example of ‘beating the masters at their own game and on their own soil’.
Every nook and corner of India rejoiced in this moment and Ajit Wadekar and Co. were given a heroes welcome when they returned back to their country.
Quite a day. Quite a record.
Feature Image Courtesy: AFP / Indranil Mukherjee
