Winning a Test on foreign soil may not seem extraordinary for the Indian team today, but in 1968 the picture was completely different. Team India had talent, experience, an entire army of spin bowlers, but the first Test win away from home was still a long way off. Then came the New Zealand tour.
The first Test between India and New Zealand began on 15 February 1968 at the Carisbrook ground in Dunedin. The command of Team India was in the hands of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. The coin did not support him. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first. Its beginning was also explosive. After losing the first wicket for 45 runs, the Kiwi team reached 200 runs. It seemed that they would score a mountain-like score but India made a comeback which decided the script of the match.
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New Zealand's innings ended at 350
Indian bowlers started giving shocks to New Zealand at frequent intervals and their innings ended at 350. Syed Abid Ali took 4 wickets. Ramakant Desai and Bapu Nadkarni took 2 wickets each. Bishan Singh Bedi had 1 wicket in his account. For New Zealand, Graham Dowling, taking the lead alone, played a brilliant inning of 143 runs. Bevan Congdon scored 58 and Mark Burgess scored 50.
New Zealand's innings certainly fell apart but it had made a big score. However, the Indian team did not panic. Farooq Engineer gave a strong start by scoring 63 runs. After this Ajit Wadekar took over the reins. He played a patient inning of 80 runs. Rusi Surti (28), Captain Pataudi (24) and Erapalli Prasanna (23) made useful contributions. The real magic was done by the last pair of Desai and Bedi. Both made a partnership of 57 runs.
New Zealand's fast bowlers tried to attack him with bouncers instead of getting him out. Desai (32 not out) and Bedi (22) were not afraid of this and faced the Kiwi bowlers boldly and took India to the score of 359. India got a significant lead of 9 runs.
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Gaining lead boosts morale
While New Zealand adopted a defensive attitude and scored 350 runs in 157.3 overs in its first innings, the Indian team scored more runs than that in 124 overs. The lead of 9 runs was not very big but it was enough to boost the morale of Team India. Its effect started becoming visible on the field also. Indian bowlers started tightening the screws in New Zealand's second innings and bundled out New Zealand for 208.
Erapalli Prasanna broke the back of New Zealand's batting order by taking 6 wickets. Bedi and Nadkarni took 1 wicket each, while two Kiwi batsmen were run out. India got the target of only 200 runs to win.
The target was small but India had to move towards it with all its might. This is because, just a few weeks ago, the Indian team was deprived of victory despite coming very close to the target in the Brisbane Test against Australia. The wound of that defeat was still fresh. India started the second innings in Dunedin. Abid Ali (10) was run out early. Farooq Engineer also walked out after scoring 29 runs. Team India's score was 49/2. From here Ajit Wadekar and Rusi Surti took charge.
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Uneasiness suddenly increased in the Indian camp on the last day
The pair of Wadekar-Surti batted responsibly and took India beyond 150. There was a century partnership between the two. There was only some time left for the end of the fourth day's play when Surti was out after scoring 44 runs. After his departure, Wadekar and captain Pataudi did not allow Team India to suffer any further setbacks. India's score at stumps on the fourth day was 161/3. The victory was clear but the way New Zealand started on the fifth day increased the uneasiness in the Indian camp. Jack Alabaster took the big wicket of Wadekar (71) on the score of 163. Only 6 runs were added to India's score when Pataudi also walked out.
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This pair reached the threshold of victory
Half the Indian team was reduced to 169 runs. The target was still 31 runs away. It seemed that victory would slip from the hands of Team India but Motaganahalli Jayasimha and Chandu Borde made an unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket and took India to the target. Team India scored 200 runs by losing 5 wickets in 74.4 overs and achieved its first win on foreign soil. It was not just a win but, it was like a mental door opening for the Indian team which was looking for a win abroad.
This victory of Dunedin did not come in any stormy fashion. India did not crush New Zealand. He gradually turned the match in his favor. First responded with 350, then took a lead of 9 runs, after that the spinners wrapped up New Zealand's second innings quickly and finally the batsmen achieved the target.
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This victory is very special for India
This victory was also special for Indian cricket because it was the beginning of the New Zealand tour, which India eventually won 3-1. After the win in Dunedin, New Zealand bounced back in Christchurch and won the second Test by six wickets but India won the next two Tests in Wellington and Auckland to clinch the series. Today, when we talk about India's overseas Test victories, we first remember Lord's 1971, Melbourne 1977, Perth 2008, Gabba 2021, but behind these big stories, some small but very important beginnings like Dunedin are also hidden.