VINOO MANKAD
Was good enough to play for most world sides as a batsman or as a spinner !
Still is part holder of the all time world record opening partnership of 413 in test matches.
Before Bothams Test at Headingley, it was Mankads Test at Lord's in 1952 that stood out as one players single handed all round performance against an opponent. 72 runs in the first innings, then five wickets and then 187 in the second innings. Unlike Botham , he ended on the losing side.
As a batsman, he had great powers of concentration and a strong defence. His record stand with Roy lasted over eight hours and they were not separated till after lunch on the second day. At the same time, if a ball wanted hitting, he hit it. Many will remember how at Lord’s in 1952 the match had barely been in progress half-an-hour when he hit Jenkins high over the screen at the Nursery End. He had a fine cover-drive and hit well to leg. Like many players of great natural ability he did not in attack worry overmuch about the straightness of his bat. In fact he was essentially a practical batsman who was prepared to go in cheerfully whenever his captain wanted and adapt his tactics to the state of the match.
As a bowler, he was a slow left-hander of the old-fashioned orthodox type, varying his natural legbreak with a faster one which came with his arm and got him lots of wickets. His figures in 1946 are the more creditable when one realises that for most of the tour he was suffering from an injury which made this ball tiring and difficult to bowl. As a boy he had experimented with the chinaman but was fortunately persuaded by that shrewd coach, Bert Wensley, to abandon it. For some years he was undoubtedly the best bowler of his type in the world.