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Madan Lal was the typical Indian new bowler of the 1970s, a period when
seamers had little to do but take the shine off the new ball. Like most
of his kind he was also a good lower order batsman and, when conditions
suited him, could swing and seam the ball effectively. Originally
playing for the Punjab in 1968-69, he made his Test debut in England in
1974. From then until the emergence of Kapil Dev he was an Indian
regular, playing in most but not all Tests. Against West Indies in
1974-75 he made 48 and took 4-22 at Calcutta when India won by 85 runs.
In New Zealand in 1975-76 he had 5-134 at Christchurch and scored 45 and
55 not out in the Barbados Test of 1976. In Australia in 1977-78 he
took 5-72 in Brisbane.
Madan Lal lost his place to the pacier Kapil and
Ghavri for four years, returning on Keith Fletcher's England tour to
India in 1981-82, when he took 5-85 and scored 44 in New Delhi. In 1982
he took 3-99 at Lord's, scored 54 against Pakistan in Faisalabad in
1982-83 and when Pakistan came to India a year later scored 74 and took
3-72 in Bangalore. He made 63 not out against West Indies at Kanpur the
same season. During India's tour to England in 1986 he was called out of
the Central Lancashire League to play in the second Test, scoring 20
and 22 not out and taking 3-18. He was a member of the World Cup winning
team in 1983 and was bowling when Kapil took the great catch off Viv
Richards that turned the match India's way. He took 3-31, the other
wickets being Haynes and Gomes. In 1975 he bowled the first ball of the
first World Cup. (Bob Harragan)
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