ON THIS DAY in 1956: Two Indians, 413 Runs, and a Record-Setting First Wicket Partnership That Stood for 52 Years

On January 7, 1956, Indian cricket witnessed a golden moment that will forever be etched in the annals of the sport’s history. On this day, Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy set a record that would remain unbroken for 52 years, achieving the highest first-wicket partnership in Test cricket at that time. Their historic partnership of 413 runs still holds the distinction of being India’s highest first-wicket partnership and remains the second-largest opening partnership in Test cricket history.

The Historic Match: India vs New Zealand

The fifth and final Test of the 1956 India-New Zealand series was played at the Corporation Stadium (later renamed Nehru Stadium) in Madras. India led the series 1-0, but the opening pair was still a headache for the team. Over the first four Tests, India had tried four different opening combinations, none of which were successful. In the fifth Test, Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy were given the opportunity to open, a combination that had already yielded several successful partnerships.

Mankad and Roy’s Unstoppable Partnership

Under the leadership of Captain Paly Umrigar, India chose to bat first, and Mankad and Roy took to the crease on a batting-friendly pitch. From the very start, they displayed remarkable patience and resilience. The New Zealand bowlers tried everything to break their concentration but failed. The duo built a solid foundation, crossing the 100-run mark, then 200, and finally breaking the previous Indian record for the highest partnership of 203 runs set in 1936 by Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali.

The partnership kept growing, and both batsmen reached their centuries—Pankaj Roy completing his in 262 minutes and Mankad following suit in 287 minutes. By the end of the first day, India’s score was a formidable 234/0, with Roy on 114* and Mankad on 109*.

Day 2: Breaking Records and Reaching 413

The next day, Mankad and Roy continued to dominate. When they crossed 300 runs, the question everyone was asking was whether they would break the 359-run record for the highest first-wicket partnership, set in 1948-49 by Len Hutton and Washbrook of England. By the time they had added more runs, it was clear—they had surpassed the record, and the cricket world took notice.

Finally, after 472 minutes at the crease, Roy was bowled for 173 runs, and the partnership ended at 413 runs, a world-record-breaking feat that stood until 2008. The pair’s remarkable partnership finally ended when Roy was dismissed by Por. Despite this, Mankad’s extraordinary innings continued.

Mankad’s Record-Breaking Knock

Mankad, who had batted with extreme concentration, eventually fell for 231 runs, which at that time was the highest individual score for India in Tests. His record was later broken in 1983 by Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 236* against the West Indies in Madras (now Chennai). Mankad’s innings were notable for the minimal use of boundaries—he hit only 21 fours in his 231 runs, while Roy hit 12 fours in his 173 runs. India declared their innings at 537/3.

New Zealand’s Struggles

In reply, New Zealand collapsed for just 209 runs in their first innings, thanks to Subhash Gupte’s 5-wicket haul and Jasu Patel’s 3 wickets. They were forced to follow on. In the second innings, they were once again bundled out for just 219 runs, with Mankad adding to his tally with another 4 wickets.

India’s Victory

India won the match by an innings and 109 runs, securing a commanding victory. The match is remembered for Mankad and Roy’s incredible partnership, which remained unbeaten for more than five decades.

52 Years Later: The Record Is Broken

It wasn’t until February 29, 2008, that Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith of South Africa broke Mankad and Roy’s record, putting up a 415-run partnership against Bangladesh in Chittagong. Prior to that, in 2006, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid came close with a partnership of 410 runs against Pakistan in Lahore, but Sehwag’s dismissal for 254 meant they fell just 3 runs short of breaking the record.

Top 5 First-Wicket Partnerships in Test Cricket

Opening Pair	Runs	Team	Opponent	Venue	Date
Neil McKenzie, Graeme Smith	415	South Africa	Bangladesh	Chittagong	29 February 2008
Vinoo Mankad, Pankaj Roy	413	India	New Zealand	Chennai	6 January 1956
Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid	410	India	Pakistan	Lahore	13 January 2006
Glen Turner, T.W. Jarvis	387	New Zealand	West Indies	Georgetown	6 April 1972
Bill Lawry, Bobby Simpson	382	Australia	West Indies	Bridgetown	5 May 1965

Mankad’s Unique Record

Mankad’s name is also associated with another remarkable feat—he is the only Indian cricketer to have batted at every position in the batting order, from 1st to 11th. He remains one of the few cricketers in the world to have achieved this. While Ravi Shastri and Farokh Engineer also batted from positions 1 to 10, neither had the opportunity to bat at No. 11.