In an era when Indian cricket was finding its feet, Vinoo Mankad scaled mythical heights as an all-rounder, setting benchmarks that remain unparalleled. Often compared to Australia’s Keith Miller, Mankad bore the burden of a perpetually weak Indian side, playing the role of a tireless workhorse. Unlike Miller, who thrived in a strong team, Mankad’s brilliance shone through adversity. He batted at every position in Test cricket, adapting to the team’s needs, and remained a relentless force, whether with bat or ball, in any situation. His absence left India visibly subdued, underscoring his indispensable role.
As a batsman, Mankad combined phenomenal concentration with a rock-solid defense. Yet, he could unleash destruction when needed, often opening the innings (in 40 of his 72 Test innings) and striking the ball with authority. His elegant cover drive and array of leg-side strokes were complemented by his pioneering ability to loft balls into vacant outfield areas without clearing the boundary. His batting reflected a duality—solid and reliable one day, scintillating the next. While his technique wasn’t always textbook, his natural prowess compensated.
As a bowler, Mankad was a master of slow left-arm orthodox spin, blending subtle variations in flight and turn with a deceptive faster delivery. He could outfox batsmen by luring them forward for overs, only to beat them with a change of pace or turn, often resulting in stumpings. His versatility allowed him to excel on all types of wickets, keeping batsmen guessing with his guile. On the field, Mankad exuded a calm, robust character—shirt unbuttoned, often uncapped, yet always in command.
Mulvantrai Himmatlal Mankad, affectionately called “Minu” at home, was born on April 12, 1917, in Jamnagar (then Nawanagar), Gujarat. Though his family had no sporting background, Mankad’s cricketing talent emerged early. Growing up in Jamnagar, he drew inspiration from local legends like KS Ranjitsinhji, KS Duleepsinhji, Amar Singh, and L Ramji. At Nawanagar High School, under the guidance of SMH Colah—a former Indian Test cricketer and coach—Mankad’s skills blossomed.
He also benefited from occasional mentorship by Duleepsinhji and Bert Wensley, a former Sussex all-rounder who played for Nawanagar. Wensley’s advice to switch from medium-pace to orthodox left-arm spin proved pivotal, aligning with Mankad’s natural strengths. His first-class debut in 1935 against Jack Ryder’s Australian side was unremarkable, as was his Ranji Trophy debut for Western India in 1935-36, where he failed to take a wicket and scored an unbeaten 0 at No. 11.
The following season, playing for Nawanagar under Wensley’s captaincy, Mankad scored 185 in the Ranji Trophy final against Bengal, contributing significantly to his team’s victory. In 1937-38, during Lord Tennyson’s unofficial Test tour of India, Mankad’s all-round consistency shone. He topped both batting (376 runs at 62.66) and bowling (15 wickets at 14.53) averages in the series, earning praise from Tennyson, who declared Mankad worthy of a world XI. World War II interrupted his prime years, but he continued to dominate domestic cricket in the Ranji Trophy and Pentangular tournaments.
Mankad debuted in Test cricket at 29, during India’s 1946 tour of England. At Lord’s, he scored 14 and 63, with Wisden noting his ability to “demoralize England’s bowling.” He bowled 48 overs in England’s first innings, taking 2 for 107, and excelled further at Old Trafford and The Oval. Despite India’s weak bowling and fielding, Mankad’s all-round brilliance—129 wickets and 1,120 runs in the tour—earned him a place among Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in 1947.
In Australia in 1947-48, Mankad faced a formidable batting lineup led by Don Bradman. His 12 wickets came at a costly 52.50, as he shouldered India’s bowling burden across all five Tests. Batting against Ray Lindwall proved challenging, with Lindwall dismissing him six times, including three ducks. However, Mankad responded spectacularly, scoring breezy centuries in the third (116) and fifth (111) Tests in Melbourne, the former in just 135 minutes. These counterattacking displays against fearsome pace remain among the finest by an all-rounder, surpassing feats by later greats like Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, or Imran Khan.
It was during this series that Mankad etched his name into cricket’s lexicon. In the second Test in Sydney, he ran out Australia’s Bill Brown for backing up too far, an action he had previously executed in a tour match. Though controversial, the dismissal—later termed “Mankading”—was defended by Bradman, who praised Mankad’s fairness in warning Brown beforehand.
Mankad was at his devastating best as a bowler against a depleted England side in 1951-52, taking 34 wickets at 16.79—an Indian record until BS Chandrasekhar surpassed it in 1972. His 8 for 55 and 4 for 53 in the fifth Test in Madras orchestrated India’s maiden Test victory, while his 230 runs in the series underscored his all-round dominance.
No cricketer has scaled greater heights of all-round virtuosity than Mankad during the Lord’s Test of June 1952, now famously called “Mankad’s Test.” Initially unavailable due to a contract with Haslingden in the Lancashire League, Mankad was recalled after India’s humiliating defeat at Leeds. Without recent first-class experience in England, the 35-year-old made an immediate impact. He scored 72, the top score in India’s first innings of 235, and then bowled a marathon 73 overs (24 maidens) to take 5 for 196 in England’s 537.
Opening India’s second innings after bowling 31 overs on day three, Mankad showed no fatigue, finishing unbeaten on 86 at stumps. The next day, he tormented England’s attack, scoring a monumental 184 before missing a full toss from Jim Laker. Despite India’s eventual defeat by eight wickets, Mankad’s 97 overs and 256 runs in the match were a testament to his superhuman endurance and skill. Wisden hailed his performance as “the greatest ever by a member of a losing side.”
Two months later, Mankad dismantled Pakistan in the first Test in Delhi in 1952, with figures of 8 for 52 and 5 for 79, securing India’s first innings victory in Tests. His absence in the second Test led to India’s defeat, but he returned as the decisive force in the third Test in Mumbai, taking 8 wickets and scoring 41 and 35 not out to clinch a 10-wicket victory.
In the 1952-53 West Indies tour, the 36-year-old Mankad remained durable, bowling 345 overs (including 82 in Kingston’s first innings) and taking 15 wickets, despite Subhash Gupte’s dominance. His aggressive 96 and 66 showcased his batting prowess, earning him admiration from West Indian fans.
At 39, Mankad displayed his enduring class against New Zealand in 1955-56, scoring double centuries in Mumbai (223) and Madras (231). His 413-run opening stand with Pankaj Roy in Madras set a world record. He also took 4 for 65 in 45 overs in the second innings, reinforcing his all-round mastery.
Mankad’s career statistics—162 wickets at 32.32 and 2,109 runs at 31.47 in 44 Tests—understate his towering impact. Overbowled as a bowler and shuffled in the batting order under pressure, he faced immense challenges. In 1952-53, he became the fastest to achieve the double of 100 wickets and 1,000 runs (in 23 Tests), a record later broken by Ian Botham. Morally, Mankad ranks alongside Keith Miller and Botham, and arguably edges out Kapil Dev due to his technical versatility and crisis management. His ability to open the batting and bowl world-class spin made him a unique all-rounder, capable of rivaling Imran Khan or Jacques Kallis in an all-time XI.
No all-rounder has carried a team’s fortunes as single-handedly as Mankad, particularly in his heroic 1952 Lord’s performance, unmatched even by Gary Sobers. His omission from Christopher Martin-Jenkins and Geoff Armstrong’s top 100 cricketers is unjust, though John Woodcock rightly included him. Among Indian Test greats, Mankad stands alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and Kapil Dev, cementing his legacy as a cricketing colossus.
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*Freelance journalist
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