Before Bazball and WTC, there was Oval 1971 — where India rewrote their Test destiny
This summer, as Shubman Gill leads a new-look India into the 2025 Test series against England, memories of a glorious chapter from 54 years ago come flooding back. Before Pant's power, Gill's grace, and before DRS, World Test Championships, or Bazball — there was 1971. And it changed everything.
Back then, India hadn't won a single Test in England. The idea of defeating the old colonial masters on their own turf remained a distant dream. But that changed under the calm leadership of Ajit Wadekar and a bowling unit that knew how to dig deep.
With the first two Tests at Lord's and Manchester ending in draws in a three-match Test series, all eyes are on the third Test at The Oval.
In the final Test of the series at Kennington Oval, England won the toss and batted first. Thanks to a solid top order, they piled on 355 in their first innings, with John Jameson (82) and Alan Knott (90) making significant contributions. Eknath Solkar picked up 3 for 28 for India, quietly setting the tone.
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India replied with 284, falling 71 runs short. However, this wasn't an innings to scoff at. Wadekar made 48, Dilip Sardesai scored 54, and Farokh Engineer struck a spirited 59. Solkar (44) and Abid Ali (26) chipped in, bringing the score close enough to remain in contention. Ray Illingworth bowled his heart out with figures of 5 for 70, keeping India on the back foot.
If the first innings felt like an English tea — rich, full-bodied, and predictable — what followed was pure masala.
England's second innings collapsed in just 105 minutes. The spin wizard Bhagwat Chandrasekhar came alive and dismantled the hosts with a spellbinding 6 for 38, as England crumbled to 101 all out.
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This represented England's lowest score against India at the time, even lower than their 134 at Lord's in 1936. Support came from Srinivas Venkataraghavan (2 wickets), whilst Solkar's catches close in made jaws drop.
The target was 173. It's not huge, but it's definitely tricky — especially in an era without helmets or modern bats. India opened shakily, losing Sunil Gavaskar for a duck and Ashok Mankad cheaply.
Wadekar was solid again with 45, but his run-out early on Day 5 made Indian fans bite their nails. Sardesai (40) and Gundappa Viswanath (33) displayed immense patience, adding 48 runs in 95 minutes. Still, wickets fell, and doubts crept in.
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At 146 for 5, it was anyone's game. But then came Farokh Engineer, mixing aggression with caution. His unbeaten 28 held the innings together, and with Abid Ali's calmness at the other end, India got over the line — 174/6, and a historic four-wicket win.
The moment Abid Ali cracked that square cut for four, the Oval erupted — not with English cheers but with Indian euphoria. Engineer was swarmed, stumps were claimed as souvenirs, and history was made.
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India had won the series 1-0, with the first two Tests at Lord's and Manchester ending in draws. This was not merely a victory on paper — it signalled a mental shift, a declaration that India had arrived.
