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INDIA'S FORGOTTEN ALLROUNDER

Muloghonto

By Muloghonto
in Cricket Talk

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Muloghonto Experienced

Muloghonto

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April 12, 2017

India's rock of ages

HARESH PANDYA
Big-match batsman, tireless bowler, agile fielder, dependable team man - Vinoo Mankad, who was born 100 years ago today, was the driving force behind the India team of his era
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261017.4.jpg Mankad shouldered most of the national team's burden throughout his Test career © PA Photos

 

A perfect team man. This is how one might describe Vinoo Mankad, one of the truly great allrounders of all time. As a key member of the India team in the late 1940s and much of the 1950s, he was always in the game, and more often than not in any given game, contributing in some way or the other, mostly on a grand scale.

India did not have too many world-class players in those years, when drawing a Test against any opponent, including the then lowly New Zealand and Pakistan, was considered an achievement. The national side, almost invariably lacking in genuine talent and confidence, depended heavily on Mankad, and whenever it took the field without him, it appeared to be a listless unit.

As an orthodox left-arm spinner in the classical mould, a plucky right-hand batsman and an agile fielder, particularly off his own bowling, Mankad had few peers and no superiors in the world throughout his chequered yet eventful Test career, the start of which was delayed by World War II.

Mankad was often hailed as the Keith Miller of India. But unlike the dashing Australian allrounder, he was fated to represent an eternally weak team and had to be a relentless workhorse while carrying the additional weight of the nation's expectations. He batted at every position in Test cricket, not by choice but because of circumstances.

 

Initially they agreed to release Mankad only for the second Test, at Lord's. But they gave in after plenty of persuasion and reluctantly released their star recruit for all three remaining Tests.

Coming straight from league cricket and without having played any first-class cricket in England that season, the 35-year-old Mankad was pitchforked into the playing XI at Lord's. Expectations were higher than ever before.

Hazare won the toss and asked Mankad to open the Indian innings with Pankaj Roy. Dark memories of being 0 for 4 at one stage in the previous Test were still haunting the team. However, England soon realised they were up against a competitive cricketer of class, as Mankad faced Fred Trueman and Alec Bedser with aplomb, adding 106 with Roy, before being first out for a masterly 72 - the top score in the innings - in a little under two and a half hours.

Despite such a solid start, the entire team was bundled out for 235 shortly before the close of play on the opening day. During England's massive first innings of 537, which lasted over a day and a half, Mankad bowled 73 overs, (24 of them maidens) and claimed 5 for 196.

As if that were not enough, he opened the Indian second innings, after having bowled 31 overs on day three, without showing any sign of fatigue, and was undefeated on 86, out of India's score of 137 for 2 at stumps.

 

 

Come the first Test at Headingley in 1952, where the hosts handed India a humiliating defeat by seven wickets in four days, it became obvious that Mankad's absence was a great loss

 

 

With the stonewalling Hazare for company, Mankad simply tore into the English attack thereafter. When sheer exhaustion did him in and he missed a full toss from Jim Laker to be bowled for a superlative 184, Mankad had salvaged much of India's pride, although defeat was still unavoidable.

He was the third batsman out, with the score at 270, and India were eventually bowled out for 378. Though wicketless in England's modest second-innings chase, Mankad bowled 24 overs, half of them maidens, and gave away less than a run and a half per. In all, he was on the field for nearly 17 out of 25 hours of play.

"England won by eight wickets, but Mankad's performance must surely rank as the greatest ever done in a Test by a member of the losing side," noted Wisden. Unsurprisingly, in a glowing tribute to his tour de force, the 1952 Lord's Test has come to be known as "Mankad's Test" or "Mankad versus England".

 

 

Read more:

 

 

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/1089873.html

Sad that not many know of or appreciate Vinoo Mankad. 

Edited by Muloghonto
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Muloghonto Experienced

Muloghonto

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8 minutes ago, HippoSucks said:

Surely not ahead of Sobers, Rhodes, Aubrey Faulkner etc.

Sobers wasnt a spin-bowling allroudner, even though he came to the team as a spinner. He was most effective as a left arm seamer. 

Rhodes and Faulkner are hard to rate, as pre-war and post war cricket are significantly different from what i've read. 

 

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King Tendulkar Newbie

King Tendulkar

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2 hours ago, Muloghonto said:

Yeah, for me there are 6 automatics for me in all-time India XI for tests : Gavaskar, Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Kapil and Mankad. Though if Ashwin improves his batting a little bit more, Mankad may not be an automatic anymore.

Hmmmn

 

dont think Sehwag is automatic pick . Merchant and hazare say hello 

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sandeep Grand Master

sandeep

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5 hours ago, King Tendulkar said:

I bigged this legend up on this forum a few months ago and got hammered 

 

automatic pick for india great 11 . One of first names you put down 

Jaddu when he retires might displace him.  Mankad was way better with the bat though.

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Muloghonto Experienced

Muloghonto

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4 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Jaddu when he retires might displace him.  Mankad was way better with the bat though.

Depends on your lineup composition. All-time India XI is relatively weak for #6 position (i.e., someone like Laxman is very good, but near the bottom of the pike compared to who else would be #6 in ATG lineups for most teams). We also don't have a ATG wicketkeeper bat for Tests. So if we went with 5 bowlers, we may require two allrounders. Kapil and one of Ashwin/Mankad. Currently, Mankad is a better allrounder than Ash. If Jadeja gets into the team ahead of Mankad, it will be if they compete for a bowling slot specifically. And even then, i don't see Jaddu edging out Bedi as our #1 SLA


Like for e.g.,  I'd make my XI something like : 
Gavaskar

Sehwag

Dravid

Tendulkar

Kohli/Hazare/Laxman

Kapil

Mankad

Dhoni/Kirmani/Engineer (wk)

Kumble

Srinath

Prasanna

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sandeep Grand Master

sandeep

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1 hour ago, Muloghonto said:

Depends on your lineup composition. All-time India XI is relatively weak for #6 position (i.e., someone like Laxman is very good, but near the bottom of the pike compared to who else would be #6 in ATG lineups for most teams). We also don't have a ATG wicketkeeper bat for Tests. So if we went with 5 bowlers, we may require two allrounders. Kapil and one of Ashwin/Mankad. Currently, Mankad is a better allrounder than Ash. If Jadeja gets into the team ahead of Mankad, it will be if they compete for a bowling slot specifically. And even then, i don't see Jaddu edging out Bedi as our #1 SLA


Like for e.g.,  I'd make my XI something like : 
Gavaskar

Sehwag

Dravid

Tendulkar

Kohli/Hazare/Laxman

Kapil

Mankad

Dhoni/Kirmani/Engineer (wk)

Kumble

Srinath

Prasanna

Yeah, fair enough.  I'm just hoping Jaddu to really ramp up his batting and put a Gilchrist type 50s with good consistency:p:

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HippoSucks Newbie

HippoSucks

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30 minutes ago, Muloghonto said:

Depends on your lineup composition. All-time India XI is relatively weak for #6 position (i.e., someone like Laxman is very good, but near the bottom of the pike compared to who else would be #6 in ATG lineups for most teams). We also don't have a ATG wicketkeeper bat for Tests. So if we went with 5 bowlers, we may require two allrounders. Kapil and one of Ashwin/Mankad. Currently, Mankad is a better allrounder than Ash. If Jadeja gets into the team ahead of Mankad, it will be if they compete for a bowling slot specifically. And even then, i don't see Jaddu edging out Bedi as our #1 SLA


Like for e.g.,  I'd make my XI something like : 
Gavaskar

Sehwag

Dravid

Tendulkar

Kohli/Hazare/Laxman

Kapil

Mankad

Dhoni/Kirmani/Engineer (wk)

Kumble

Srinath

Prasanna

 

Amarnath has to be an automatic choice because of that series, certainly over Kohli or Laxman.

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Muloghonto Experienced

Muloghonto

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12 minutes ago, HippoSucks said:

Amarnath has to be an automatic choice because of that series, certainly over Kohli or Laxman.

Yes and no. He also got like 5 runs in 10 innings or something like that against West Indies at home. besides, Amarnath wasn't exactly a master against spin. I feel Laxman was a better batsman against pace and spin than Amaranth. And Kohli,if he keeps up is average would definitely outrank Amaranth. Laxman has a bit of an x-factor going for him by absolutely annihilating the best bowling attack (Aussies) at home and away.

 

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Muloghonto Experienced

Muloghonto

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6 minutes ago, rtmohanlal said:

India's 3rd best all rounder ...after the irreplacable legend  Kapil Dev &  Ravi Ashwin... Jadeja might sneak in tough in the long run...

I don't see Ashwin as a better allrounder yet. Remember, 32 average in the 50s was indicative of higher batting skill than 32 today. Not to mention, Vinoo-Saheb has centuries against much superior bowling attacks than Ashwin.

 

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rtmohanlal Apprentice

rtmohanlal

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Posted (edited)
19 hours ago, Muloghonto said:

I don't see Ashwin as a better allrounder yet. Remember, 32 average in the 50s was indicative of higher batting skill than 32 today. Not to mention, Vinoo-Saheb has centuries against much superior bowling attacks than Ashwin.

 

agreed ... though Ashwin avg:s  slightly better, Mankad played in those days with much lesser  protective  guards, but  was  less scrutinised as a batsman because of lack of adequate technology  when compared to Ashwin.Yet, all in all Mankad was a better batsman. By the same yard stick  Ashwin as a bowler  is more  at advantage today  because of  being able to exploit the weaknesses of opponent batsmen  with the help of technological analyses.Yet his bowl  avg: is far better when compared to Mankad. So he wins over all as an all rounder for me.

Edited by rtmohanlal
correction
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