SK Flashback: Australia’s first tour of India in 1956

#3 Emergence of Richie Benaud as a star

Benaud used the India tour to establish himself as an Australian great

While talking about the series, Ray Lindwall mentioned the lack of bowling options in the Australian side because of injuries. One player who took advantage of the situation was all-rounder Richie Benaud, as he tweaked his bowling style. This resulted in him being converted from a handy bowling option to the team’s main bowler.

Heat and humidity in the Karachi game had prompted him to reduce his bowling run-up and change the run-up from a straight run to an angular run. He employed that in the India series as well and was immensely successful as he picked up a seven-wicket haul in India’s first innings in the first match at Madras.

Benaud finished the series with 23 wickets and announced his arrival as a star in world cricket. He went on to play a major role in Australia’s success in the following years with both bat and ball and was given the Test captaincy in the 1958-59 season.

The player had taken 50 wickets from 24 Tests before the 1956 India series at an average of 34, and his bowling record in Test cricket post the change in action read 198 wickets from 39 matches at slightly over 25.