India v Pakistan 1952-53 series

India won the five-match Test series 2-1.

Also check: 1960-61 | 1979-80 | 1983-84 | 1986-87 | 1998-99

Captains:
India: Lala Amarnath | Pakistan: AH Kardar

Summary of Results:

#	Dates	India	Pakistan	Venue	Result
1	16-18 Oct 1952	*372	150 & 152	Delhi	Ind - Inns & 70 runs
2	23-26 Oct 1952	*106 & 182	331	Lucknow	Pak - Inns & 43 runs
3	13-16 Nov 1952	387-4 & 45-0	*186 & 242	Bombay	Ind - 10 wickets
4	28 Nov-1 Dec 1952	175-6	*344	Madras	Drawn
5	12-15 Dec 1952	397 & 28-0	*257 & 236-7d	Calcutta	Drawn

Highlights

Delhi :
Pakistan's first official Test established Hanif Mohammad (17 years 300 days) as the world's youngest Test wicket-keeper. Abdul Hafeez Kardar and Amir Elahi, who had played for India before partition, turned up for Pakistan. Hemu Adhikari and Ghulam Ahmed added 109 runs for the tenth wicket in 80 minutes. This still remains India's highest ever and only century stand for the tenth wicket in Test cricket. Mankad's innings (8 for 52) and match (13 for 131) analyses were then records for India in all Tests. It was for the first time in cricket history that a new Test entrant side did not play its first Test against England. All other five Test playing countries at that time (including India) had played their first Test against England.

Lucknow :
Without Hazare, Mankad and Adhikari, the Indian batting was weakened, added to which the matting wicket provided immense help to Fazal Mahmood's cutters. Fazal brought Pakistan's first victory in their second match by demolishing India with second innings figures of 7 for 42 and match figures of 12 for 94. Nazar Mohammad scored Pakistan's first century, carried his bat through a completed innings (515 minutes) and became the first player in Test cricket to be on the field for an entire Test match. India's total of 106 remains their lowest in this series. Fazal's match figures of 12 for 94 are still the best for Pakistan against India, and his innings analysis of 7 for 42 remained the best of his Test career.

Bombay:
India brought back Hazare, Mankad and Adhikari. On a pitch freshened by overnight showers Amarnath dismissed Nazar Mohammad, Kardar, Imtiaz Ahmed and Maqsood Ahmed, taking the last three in a spell of 12.4-6-9-4. Vinoo Mankad completed the Test 'double' of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in his 23rd match. This was the fastest Test double until 1979 when IT Botham achieved this feat in 21 matches. Kardar elected to bat on a dew-laden pitch drying under a burning sun. Hazare and Umrigar added 183 to establish India's present fourth-wicket record for this series. Hanif, 'The Little Master', demonstrated his powers of concentration by batting for six hours in the second innings. Lala Amarnath and Bal Dani opened the bowling for India against Pakistan at Bombay. Lala Amarnath was over 41 and Dani under 20 at that time. They had an age difference of exactly 21 years 255 days! This is the biggest age difference in Test cricket between opening bowlers of a side.

Madras:
Heavy monsoon rains on the last two days, which prevented even a single ball being bowled, spoilt what might have developed into a keen match. This was the first Test in India to be seriously interrupted by rain. Amarnath relaxed a bit while Pakistan's last pair of Zulfiqar Ahmed and Amir Elahi was at the wicket on the first day to avoid batting in the final minutes. But Indian skipper had to fight hard on the second morning to separate the pair as they added 104 in 85 minutes for the last wicket. It was the sixth century partnership for the tenth wicket at that time and it still remains the only one to be scored against India.

Calcutta:
Vijay Hazare withdrew from the team for personal reasons. Deepak Shodhan, a left-hander, replaced him and made his Test debut memorable with a century. He became the first player to score a hundred in the first innings of his first Test for India, Lala Amarnath having done so in the second innings. All eleven Indian batsmen reached double figures in the same innings for the first time. The match ended with an intriguing declaration by Kardar which set India to score 97 runs in 15 minutes. India won their first rubber.

Compiled by Rajneesh Gupta