Leading Players
The Indian team's Test match averages and aggregates in a depressing series were a long way below those of the England players. Eight England team members who batted three or more times in the series averaged more than 50 runs per innings; three bowlers took 14 or more wickets and averaged less than 20 runs per wicket. Brian Statham had the unusual distinction of heading both batting and bowling averages, though his average of 70 with the bat reflected the fact that he was dismissed only once in three innings. Fred Trueman, scourge of the Indian cricket team in England in 1952, took most wickets with 24 at 16.70.
Baig headed India's batting with 165 runs from four innings; Contractor scored most runs, 233. The leg-spinner Gupte took 17 wickets at an average of 34.64, but the leading bowler by average was Surendranath, whose 16 wickets cost 26.62 each.
On the tour as a whole, Manjrekar's unbeaten 204 against Oxford University enabled him to head not only the tourists' averages, but the averages for all players in the first-class season. He scored 755 runs at an average of 68.63. Umrigar's three double-centuries, including the tour highest, 252 not out against Cambridge University, brought him the highest aggregate: 1,826 runs at 55.33 runs per innings. Of the other batsmen, Gaekwad, Contractor, Roy and Borde passed 1,000 runs in all first-class matches, and Baig did so if his tour aggregate was added to his university runs earlier in the season. Of the younger batsmen, Apte and Kripal Singh each had one very large innings, but Ghorpade and Jaisimha failed to score a century.
Borde was in terms of averages and strike rate the most successful bowler, his 72 wickets costing 20.62 runs each. Gupte, heralded before the tour as the leading leg-spin bowler in the world, disappointed, and failed to take 100 wickets in the season: his aggregate of 95 was the highest for the tourists, however. Nadkarni was a useful off-spinner but he lacked penetration and was used primarily defensively. The two young opening bowlers, Surendranath and Desai, both of them barely above medium pace, had contrasting seasons: Surendranath impressed with his control and reliability and took 79 wickets at 28 each, but Desai was expensive and his 45 tour wickets cost 41.42 runs apiece. Muddiah barely played, Ghorpade barely bowled, and Jaisimha was several times pressed into service as an emergency opening bowler without ever looking suited to the role.
Joshi and Tamhane shared wicketkeeping duties throughout the tour, playing in three and two Tests respectively. Ghorpade and Borde attracted favourable comment for their fielding.
Read more about this topic: Indian Cricket Team In England In 1959
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