Brave but Not Enough: When India captain stood tall with gallant fifty after early wipeout at 0/4 but failed to avert defeat against England

Test cricket, with its rich 147-year history, has seen many batting disasters. Scores below 50 have happened numerous times, but losing four wickets without a single run is unheard of and rare. This unfortunate record belongs to a young Indian team back in 1952. Just five years after gaining independence from Britain, India suffered this collapse in the second innings of their first ever Test match, on June 5, 1952. They lost four batsmen in a row without scoring a single run against England.

Trueman Tears Through Indian Top Order

Young fast bowler Fred Trueman, just 21 years old at the time, proved a nightmare for the Indian top order with the new ball.  Playing at Leeds, Headingley, he single-handedly orchestrated the collapse by dismissing three of the first five Indian batsmen for ducks. It's important to note that while English conditions can be notoriously bowler-friendly with overcast skies, the pitch itself wasn't a complete disaster. This is evident from Vijay Manjrekar's first-innings century (133) and captain Vijay Hazare's solid contribution of 89, which helped India reach a respectable total of 293.

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The Unfortunate Four

The four unfortunate Indian batsmen who fell victim to the early onslaught were openers Pankaj Roy and Datta Gaekwad, wicketkeeper-batsman Madhav Mantri, and the previously mentioned Vijay Manjrekar. While Trueman was responsible for dismissing three of them, the other wicket belonged to Alec Bedser, who accounted for Gaekwad's dismissal in India's second innings.

Vijay Hazare, Phdadkar's Fightback Fades

Despite the early collapse, India's struggles weren't over. Polly Umrigar, coming in at number three, could only manage a single-digit score. However, captain Vijay Hazare and Dattu Phadkar stepped up to provide some much-needed resistance. The duo stitched together a crucial 105-run partnership, with Hazare contributing 56 runs and Phadkar adding 64. Unfortunately, the Indian tail failed to capitalize on this momentum, and they were eventually bowled out for a disappointing 165 runs. Fred Trueman and Roly Jenkins were the pick of the English bowlers, sharing eight wickets between them (four each). Alec Bedser chipped in with two wickets as well.

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England Wrap Up Easy Win

With a meager target of 125 to chase, England faced a straightforward victory. Dattu Phadkar struck early, dismissing England captain Leonard Hutton with the new ball. However, opener Reg Simpson steadied the ship with a half-century. Denis Compton (35) and Tom Graveney (20) then cruised to the target, securing a comfortable seven-wicket victory for England.

Ghulam Ahmed's Tireless Effort

Despite the overall team struggle, one Indian bowler deserves special mention, Ghulam Ahmed. He toiled away throughout England's first innings, bowling a staggering 63 overs. His accuracy was impressive, with a miserly economy rate of just 1.58 runs per over. This included a remarkable feat of bowling 24 maiden overs, meaning he didn't concede a single run in those overs. His efforts were rewarded with five wickets, helping to restrict England's first innings total to 334 runs. This kept India in the game, trailing by a mere 41 runs. Though his second innings bowling wasn't as prolific, he still managed to pick up two more wickets.

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