Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

76 and 27 runs. All the batsmen had enjoyed time at the crease as they moved on to Madras, where the Test series was to begin. Winning the toss, India batted well into the second day, their declaration coming at 457 for seven after Budhi Kunderan, playing only because Farokh Engineer was unfit, had made 192 and Vijay Manjrekar 108. There were five wickets for Fred Titmus as he and fellow spinners Mortimore and Don Wilson, on his debut, shared the bulk of the overs. Already the bouts of sickness that were to dog the tour had begun, a flu virus disrupting the proposed batting order. Micky Stewart, scheduled to open the innings, was unfit to do so, so Mike went in first with Brian Bolus. He made only three and, with Philip Sharpe also out, England were 63 for two at stumps. The next day, with the virus spreading, the tactic was simple: play for survival and the rest day. Nightwatchman Wilson hit a breezy 42, but Bolus and Barrington then spent four and a quarter hours adding 119. When Bolus was out, Knight played through the closing minutes as England progressed to 235 for four. Left- arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni had bowled 21 consecutive maiden overs, a world record for first-class cricket. ‘We’d got one or two blokes flat on their backs in the dressing-room,’ says Mike, as ever a master of understatement. Some had been in bed back at the ‘If you can stand up, you’re playing’ Tossing up with Chandu Borde at the start of the first match of the MCC’s Indian tour at Bangalore in January 1964.