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Pankaj Roy

Pankaj Roy (31 May 1928 – 4 February 2001) was an Indian cricketer who represented the Indian national team in Test cricket between 1951 and 1960. A right-handed opening batsman from Bengal, he is best remembered for sharing a record opening partnership of 413 runs with Vinoo Mankad against New Zealand at Madras in January 1956, a stand that stood as the world Test record for first-wicket partnerships for over five decades.

Key facts

Full name Pankaj Roy
Born 31 May 1928, Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died 4 February 2001, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Batting Right-handed
Role Opening batsman
Tests 43 (1951–1960)
Domestic team Bengal
Test debut vs England, Delhi, November 1951
Honour Padma Shri (1956)

Background

Pankaj Roy was born in Calcutta and developed his cricket within the Bengal domestic circuit. He came into first-class cricket in the late 1940s and quickly established himself as a leading opening batsman in the Ranji Trophy, representing Bengal for much of his career.

Test career

Roy made his Test debut against England under Vijay Hazare in the 1951–52 home series. He scored a century in only his second Test, a 140 at Bombay's Brabourne Stadium, marking him out as a long-term option at the top of the order.

His career was uneven: he endured a difficult tour of England in 1952, where he was repeatedly dismissed by Fred Trueman, but recovered strongly at home, scoring centuries against several touring sides. Across 43 Tests he made 2,442 runs with five centuries.

The 413-run partnership

In the fifth Test of the 1955–56 series against New Zealand at the Corporation Stadium, Madras, Roy (173) and Vinoo Mankad (231) put on 413 runs for the first wicket. The partnership remained the highest opening stand in Test cricket until it was surpassed in 2008 by Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie of South Africa. The achievement remains one of the defining moments in Indian cricket of the 1950s.

Captaincy

Roy captained India in one Test, against the West Indies at Delhi in 1959, deputising during a period in which Indian Test captaincy changed hands frequently.

Domestic cricket

Roy was a prolific run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal, contributing to the side as both batsman and senior player across the 1950s and 1960s. His first-class career spanned roughly two decades.

Recognition

The Government of India conferred on him the Padma Shri in 1956 in recognition of his contribution to Indian sport. After retirement, he was associated with cricket administration in Bengal and served on selection committees, including the national selection panel.

Family

His son, Pranab Roy, also represented India in Test cricket, making the Roys one of a small number of father–son pairs to have played Test cricket for India.

Legacy

Pankaj Roy is regarded as one of the foremost Indian openers of the early Test era and a pillar of Bengal cricket. The Cricket Association of Bengal has honoured his memory through awards and recognitions, and the 413-run stand at Madras continues to be cited in discussions of historic Test partnerships.

References