# Indian cricket team in the West Indies in 1970–71

The India national cricket team toured the West Indies during the 1970–71 cricket season. They played five Test matches against the West Indian cricket team, with India winning the series 1–0.
The series can be deemed a landmark in Indian cricket in many ways. This was India's first ever test victory and test series victory over the West Indies. It was also their first victory in West Indies. The series marked the international debut for the batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar and he scored heavily in this series, including four test centuries and a double century. He would go on to serve India for almost 17 more years.

## Touring party

The Indian touring party was announced by the BCCI on 13 January 1971. The selectors named Ajit Wadekar the captain upon dropping Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Chandu Borde, the latter due to lack of form and fitness. S. Venkataraghavan was named the vice-captain. Notable exclusions included spinner B. S. Chandrasekhar, and Farokh Engineer and Rusi Surti, the latter two owing to a ruling that they must have played during the season's Ranji Trophy competition. Keki Tarapore was appointed the tour manager and Subhash Gupte, the liaison officer.
The team members were:
* Ajit Wadekar, Bombay, captain & batsman
* S. Venkataraghavan, Tamil Nadu, vice-captain & off break bowler
* Syed Abid Ali, Hyderabad, medium bowler
* Bishan Singh Bedi, Delhi, left arm spin bowler
* Salim Durani, Rajasthan, left arm spin bowler
* Sunil Gavaskar, Bombay, opening batsman
* Devraj Govindraj, Hyderabad, fast-medium bowler
* ML Jaisimha, Hyderabad, all-rounder
* Kenia Jayantilal, Hyderabad, opening batsman
* Rusi Jeejeebhoy, Bengal, wicket-keeper
* Pochiah Krishnamurthy, Hyderabad, wicket-keeper
* Ashok Mankad, Bombay, batsman
* EAS Prasanna, Mysore, off break bowler
* Dilip Sardesai, Bombay, batsman
* Eknath Solkar, Bombay, left arm medium bowler
* Gundappa Viswanath, Mysore, batsman

## Tour matches
### Four-day: Jamaica vs Indians

* 5–8 February Scorecard
* Match drawn Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica Umpires: Douglas Sang Hue and N Sealey
* Indians won the toss and decided to bat.

### Four-day: West Indies Board President's XI v Indians

* 11–14 February Scorecard
* Match drawn Jarrett Park, Montego Bay, Jamaica Umpires: Johnny Gayle and Wesley Malcolm
* West Indies Board President's XI won the toss and elected to field.

### Three-day: Leeward Islands v Indians

* 25–28 February Scorecard
* Indians won by 9 wickets Warner Park, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: D. Griffith and P. Queeley
* Toss not known.
* Leonard Williams and E Barrett (Leeward Islands) made their first-class debuts.
The Indians got off to a good start batting first, with Sunil Gavaskar and Ashok Mankad putting together 47 runs for the first wicket. Left-arm spinner Elquemedo Willett bowled out Mankad before lunch, with Ed Arthurton bowling a hostile spell of seam bowling after, to dismiss the Indians' middle-order that included wickets of M. L. Jaisimha and Salim Durani. Gavaskar, playing his first game of the tour, made 82 being dismissed caught and bowled by Willett. His side collapsed to 194/6 before Ajit Wadekar and Syed Abid Ali stitched a 112-run partnership taking their side to 306/6 at end of play on day one. Wadekar, who was dropped twice before he go to 10 went on to make a century.

### Four-day: Trinidad and Tobago v Indians

* 1–4 March 1971 Scorecard
* Match drawn Guaracara Park, Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad Umpires: Ralph Gosein and Stuart Ishmael
* Indians won the toss and elected to bat.
* Sunil Gavaskar (Indians) passed 1,000 runs in first-class cricket.

### Four-day: Barbados v Indians

* 27–30 March Scorecard
* Barbados won by 9 wickets Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados Umpires: D. Griffith and Cortez Jordan
* Barbados won the toss and decided to field.

### Three-day: Windward Islands v Indians

* 8–10 April 1971 Scorecard
* Match drawn Botanical Gardens, Roseau, Dominica
* Indians won the toss and decided to field.

## Test matches
### 1st Test

* 18–23 February 1971 Sccorecard
* Match drawn Sabina Park, Kingston Umpires: Ralph Gosein (WI) and Douglas Sang Hue (WI)
* West Indies won the toss and decided to field.
* Kenia Jayantilal and Pochiah Krishnamurthy (Ind), and Arthur Barrett and Jack Noreiga (WI) made their Test debuts.
* 21 February was a rest day.
* As it was effectively a 4-day match, deficit required to enforce follow on was 150.

### 2nd Test

* 6–10 March 1971 Scorecard
* India won by 7 wickets Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain Umpires: Ralph Gosein (WI) and Stuart Ishmael (WI)
* West Indies won the toss and decided to bat.
* Sunil Gavaskar (Ind) made his Test debut.
* 8 March was a rest day.
* This was India's first victory against the West Indies in test cricket.

### 3rd Test

* 19–24 March 1971 Scorecard
* Match drawn Bourda, Georgetown Umpires: Ralph Gosein (WI) and Cecil Kippins (WI)
* West Indies won the toss and decided to bat.
* Keith Boyce and Desmond Lewis (WI) made their Test debuts.
* 22 March was a rest day.

### 4th Test

* 1–6 April 1971 Scorecard
* Match drawn Kensington Oval, Bridgetown Umpires: Cortez Jordan (WI) and Douglas Sang Hue (WI)
* India won the toss and decided to field.
* Inshan Ali and Uton Dowe (WI) made their Test debuts.
* 5 April was a rest day.

### 5th Test

* 13–19 April 1971 Scorecard
* Match drawn Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain Umpires: Ralph Gosein (WI) and Douglas Sang Hue (WI)
* India won the toss and decided to bat.
* 16 April was a rest day.