ENGLAND v INDIA

Though England made a brisk and promising start, this was a pitch similar to those on which India are so hard to beat at home. Binny, Azad and Amarnath had only to bowl a steady length to reduce the England batsmen, as they sought to attack, to mistimings and countless uses of the bat's edge. The fact that the faster Kapil Dev had been no great menace while Fowler and Tavaré were making 69 at 4 an over was an indication that the faster England bowlers would not pose the same problems to the Indian batsmen, who have plenty of experience of slow pitches of low bounce. Two run-outs - of Lamb and Gould- made a recovery of the initiative even more unlikely. For more than an hour not a 4 was hit, and it needed a few rough, mostly edged strokes by Dilley to lift the score above 200. India, with little need to hurry, duly found the going easier against bowling which came on to the bat more readily. Though Gavaskar and Srikkanth were out for 50, Amarnath and Yashpal added 92 with increasing belligerence and Patil and Yashpal hurried the match to its close, at one time making 63 off nine overs.

Man of the Match: M. Amarnath.