The Background
India's first tour of England since 1952 came with the Indian side in transition. A home series against West Indies in 1958-59 had been lost 3-0, and there had been four captains in the five Tests. Three of those four, Ghulam Ahmed, Vinoo Mankad and Hemu Adhikari, retired from Test cricket after that series and the 1959 touring party included a lot of unproven players.
England has also had a chastening experience in the run-up to the 1959 Test series. Having retained The Ashes in 1956, overcome the West Indies' Ramadhin and Valentine combination in 1957, and crushed New Zealand in 1958, the team had been full of confidence that The Ashes would be retained in Australia in 1958-59. In the event, the tour was a disaster, and Australia won 4-0.
Read more about this topic: Indian Cricket Team In England In 1959
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