India achieved its demoiselle Test palm against the West Indies in a major match held at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, during the 1971 Test series. This palm wasn't just a palm but a watershed moment in Indian justice history.
The series, which started on March 1, 1971, was the fifth and final Test. Going into this match, India was running 0- 1 in the series, with the first Test ending in a draw and the West Indies winning the alternate Test. The third Test was also drawn, and the fourth Test saw India's notorious palm at Bridgetown, Barbados, which leveled the series at 1- 1.
In the fifth Test, India faced the redoubtable West Indies platoon led by Rohan Kanhai. India maundered first and posted a aggregate of 352 in their first innings, with Sunil Gavaskar scoring a century( 124). The West Indies responded with 294, with Eknath Solkar's exceptional fielding and medium- bellwethers like Abid Ali making a significant impact. India secured a vital 58- run lead.
In their alternate innings, India posted 223, with Dilip Sardesai top- scoring with 60 runs. The West Indies were left with a target of 282 runs to win the Test and the series. India's spin brace of Erapalli Prasanna and Bishan Singh Bedi spun their magic, taking lattices at regular intervals. Prasanna claimed a pivotal 5- gate haul. The West Indies was sailed out for 261, and India won by 48 runs.
This major palm was a turning point in Indian justice, signifying India's capability to contend and win on foreign soil. Sunil Gavaskar's debut series and his harmonious performance throughout were necessary in this achievement.
The palm wasn't just about the series but also about the tone- belief inseminated in Indian justice. It laid the foundation for unborn successes, including India's first- ever Test series palm in England in 1971, just a many months latterly. The 1971 series against the West Indies is flashed back as a vital moment that gestured India's emergence as a cricketing hustler.
