Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1969–70

Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1969–70
Australian cricket team in Ceylon and India in 1969–70
	Australia
Dates	31 October – 28 December 1969
Captains	Bill Lawry
Test series
Result	Australia won the 5-match series 3–1
Most runs	Keith Stackpole (368)
Most wickets	Ashley Mallett (28)

The Australia national cricket team toured Ceylon and India in the last three months of 1969. The team, captained by Bill Lawry, played five Test matches against India, captained by the Nawab of Pataudi Jr. The Australians also played first-class matches versus each of the five Indian Zone teams: Central, North, West, East and South. In Ceylon, they played one first-class game against Ceylon and three minor matches. Australia won the Test series in India 3-1 with one match drawn. It was to be Australia's last Test series win in India until Adam Gilchrist's side's victory in the 2004-05 series.

Series lead up

Australia came into the series with a win under its belt against Garfield Sobers' West Indians at home the previous season. They had also retained The Ashes by drawing the 1968 series in England. Prior to the Australians' arrival, India had just managed to draw its home series against New Zealand by drawing the deciding Third Test because of rain; India had been 7/76 chasing 268.

First class games

The Australian cricket team played three minor matches in Ceylon before the first-class fixture against the Ceylonese national team on 24 October; the game was drawn. Australia's first match in India was against West Zone on 31 October, also ending in a draw. A highlight of the match was CG Borde's 113 in West Zone's first innings.

First Test

The First Test was scheduled between 4–9 November. It was originally scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad, but was moved to Bombay due to riots.^[1] India won the toss and batted first, where they made 271, Australia's Graham McKenzie taking 5-69. Australia scored 345 built on Keith Stackpole's 103. In the second innings, Australia dismissed India for 137 with Johnny Gleeson taking 4-56. Australia won by eight wickets, successfully chasing the target of 64. There was rioting in the ground, after Indian player Srinivas Venkataraghavan was given out when his bat did not appear to make contact with the ball.^[1] This Test was followed by a tour match against Central Zone on 11 November, with Australia winning by an innings and 32 runs.

Second Test

The Second Test began on 15 November and India again won the toss and batted. They made 320 through half centuries from Farokh Engineer and Ashok Mankad. A century from Paul Sheahan gave Australia a small lead of 28. Gundappa Viswanath's 137 in the second innings allowed India to declare, setting Australia a victory target of 285. Australia were 0/95 at stumps on the fifth day. Australia's tour match against North Zone on 24 November was also drawn.

Third Test

On 28 November, the Third Test began. A century from Ian Chappell took Australia to 296, and then Ashley Mallett spun India out for 223, taking 6-64. However, Bishan Bedi and EAS Prasanna then took five wickets each in Australia's innings and had the tourists out for just 107, leaving India with a target of 181 for victory. Ajit Wadekar's 91 set up India's victory by seven wickets, which saw the series locked at 1-1 going into the fourth and Fifth Tests. Australia won its tour match against East Zone on 8 December by 96 runs.

Fourth Test

The Fourth Test started on 12 December and Australia won the toss, electing to field. McKenzie took 6-67 for Australia and ensured India's dismissal for 212. Half-centuries from Chappell and Doug Walters gave Australia a lead of 123, Bedi's 7-98 preventing a bigger Australian lead. In the second innings, Alan Connolly and Eric Freeman helped remove India for 161 and Australia needed only 42 for victory; they won by 10 wickets. Six people were killed and thirty were injured when police fired into a crowd who rushed the ticket counters before the start of the fourth day.^[1]

Fifth Test

The Fifth Test began on 24 December with India needing a victory to draw the series. Batting first, Australia made 258, largely through Walters's 102, and then dismissed India for 163. However, an Indian fightback in the second innings saw Australia reduced to 6/24 at one point before Ian Redpath rescued the innings for Australia, scoring 63. Australia were all out for 153, setting India 249 for victory. Mallett took his second five-for in the match and helped Australia dismiss India for 171, Australia winning by 77 runs.

Ashley Mallett ended up being the leading wicket taker of the series with 28 wickets at an average of 19.10; the second most successful bowler was Bishan Bedi with 21 at 20.57. The leading run scorer was India's GR Viswanath with 334 runs at 47.71; Australia's Ian Chappell was the next most successful batsmen with 324 runs at 46.28.

Aftermath

The tour was to be Australia's last successful series in India until victory under Adam Gilchrist in 2004-05. Between those series, Australia were unsuccessful on tours in 1979-80, 1996–97, 1997–98, and 2000–01; the 1986-87 tour was drawn 0-0 with the First Test a tie. India turned out to rebound from the loss by winning its next two series in the West Indies and England; they were its first series wins in those countries. Because Australia were scheduled for a tour in South Africa immediately after this series, they flew straight to South Africa for a four Test series without returning home.

Test series summary

1st Test @ Brabourne Stadium, Bombay – Australia won by 8 wickets
2nd Test @ Modi Stadium, Kanpur – match drawn
3rd Test @ Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi – India won by 7 wickets
4th Test @ Eden Gardens, Calcutta – Australia won by 10 wickets
5th Test @ MA Chidambaram Stadium, Madras – Australia won by 77 runs

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Williamson, Martin. "Australia's greatest challenge". www.ESPNCricinfo.com. Retrieved 14 April 2013.