India v England

At Kanpur, December 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Drawn. For the first time in history England had to follow-on against India, but on a dead, easy pitch they saved the game without trouble.

India strengthened their batting by including Umrigar and Sardesai for Milkha Singh and Desai, while Gupte replaced Kumar. Engineer, was preferred as wicket-keeper to Kunderam. Sardesai and Engineer gained their first Test caps, and Knight, who displaced Brown, made his debut for England.

When Contractor won the toss England set a defensive field almost from the first ball. Contractor provided Knight with his first Test wicket, but Jaisimha and Manjrekar added 109. Durani, normally a hard-hitting batsman, did not add to his score for a period of an hour and at the end of a slow scoring day India were 209 for three.

Umrigar dominated the rest of the batting. Missed at 48 and 69, he batted all the second day and into the third for 147 not out, his third successive Test century. His innings lasted six hours, forty minutes.

India were 437 for seven at the close of the second day and continued their innings, taking eleven hours, forty minutes over 467 for eight declared.

England gave one of their worst batting displays for many years. They were mesmerised by the clever, flighted leg-breaks and googlies of Gupte and later Borde. At the end of the third day they were 165 for eight and, although Barber batted determinedly and next morning Lock hit hard for his best Test score, India were able to enforce the follow-on with England 223 behind.

There never looked a chance of them failing again, the arrears being cleared with only Richardson out. Richardson and Pullar began with 94 and Pullar and Barrington added 139. Mike Smith failed to score in either innings but Barrington and Dexter put on 206. Barrington made 172, his highest Test score, in six and three-quarter hours and Dexter's not out 126 took four and a quarter hours. With the pitch still easy Dexter saw no point in declaring.

Numerous stoppages occurred during the match, largely because spectators flashed mirrors and biscuit tins in the eyes of the batsmen. Missiles were thrown at fieldsmen and fights and fires frequently broke out, the crowd being unruly throughout.