I must confess that I have not seen the Bombay test in 1959 against the Australian team led by Richie Benaud. My father, however, saw the proof and he tells what I have written. This was the third round of the series and the Indian team was led by GS Ramchand, a hard hitting right hand hitter and a competent pacemaker.
The advent of Abbas Ali Baig
The Indian team included a young man who had made a century in his first appearance against England just a season earlier in England when he had reached 112. India had risen from its sickbed and had beaten the Australians at the Kanpur test. due to the bowling effort of Jasu Patel. Thus, the series was 1-1 when both teams reached Bombay.
Ramchand won the toss and India hit. But Davidson, in an inspired clean spell, threw Pankaj Roy and got Polly Umrigar caught in the slips and the score was 21-2. Abbas Ali Baig stepped in and, along with Contactor, who connected 108, helped India to a total of 289. Baig made 53. Baig in particular made quite an impression by skillfully handling the Australian attack.
Australia now batted and declared at 387 for8 and India came in at bat. At the end of the day (4th) Roy and Contractor had seen India 92-0. The final day dawned and people thought India could easily tie the game, but sadly both starters were fired and India was a precarious 109-4. The horrified crowd fell silent as they watched India slide into another family defeat.
The kissing episode
However, Abbas Ali Baig played a stellar inning of 58 and Ramnath Kenny joined him as India tied the game. Baig negotiated Meckiff’s pace, Davidson’s swing, and Richie Benaud’s spin with ease. It was a great blow marked by some magnificent blows towards the fence.
When Baig returned to the pavilion, a young woman in a dress ran forward and planted several Kisses on Baig. In fact, Vijay Merchant in the commentator box counted the kisses on the radio with excitement 1, 2, 3. 12 … 13. showed the love of the Indian masses for the game of cricket. How else could a 20-year-old girl do such a thing? Either way, this never happened after that and Baig will be remembered for this. Inexplicably, Baig faded from the scene, but the kissing episode can never be forgotten.