Virtually tainted Indian cricketer- Vinoo Mankad

Full name Mulvantrai Himmatlal Mankad was a batter who achieved recognition after setting opening partnership of 413 runs, with Pankaj Roy, in 1956, a record that stood for 52 years. Though, the record was shaken up by Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith in 2008.

He scored a ravishing 231 against New Zealand in this game in 1956.  Mankad's best performance came against England at Lord's in 1952.

In the first innings he top-scored with 72. During England's first innings, he bowled 73 overs and took 5 wickets for 196 runs. Mankad’s achievements involved a five-for and a ton in the same Test match against England at Lord’s and was first from the nation to achieve this. As such, he is one of only three non-England 'away' players whose names appear on both batting and bowling honours boards at Lords. Mankad caused controversy in 1947/48 on India's tour of Australia, when he ran out Bill Brown backing up in the second Test. In other words, he broke the wicket at the non-striker's end during his run-up while the batsman at that end was out of his ground. He had done the same thing to Brown in the game against an Australian XI earlier on the tour, but his running out of Brown infuriated the Australian media, and running someone out in this way is now referred to as "Mankading".

However, Don Bradman in his autobiography defended Mankad, saying:

For the life of me, I can't understand why [the press] questioned his sportsmanship. The laws of cricket make it quite clear that the nonstriker must keep within his ground until the ball has been delivered. If not, why is the provision there which enables the bowler to run him out? By backing up too far or too early, the nonstriker is very obviously gaining an unfair advantage.

Four other instances of 'Mankading' have taken placed in Test matches. These involved Ian Redpath (Australia) by Charlie Griffith (West Indies) in 1968-69; Derek Randall (England) by Ewen Chatfield (New Zealand) in 1978-79; Sikander Bakht(Pakistan) by Alan Hurst (Australia) in 1978-79; and Peter Kirsten (South Africa) by KapilDev 1992-93.

In 2014, Jos Buttler (England) was 'Mankaded' by SachithraSenanayake (Sri Lanka) during the deciding match of the one-day international series between the countries. He was warned twice before being run out by Senanayake.

Mankad has been awarded with Padma Bhushan in the year 1973.

The “big player” almost lost his existence. Wisden magazine called him “one of the greatest all-rounders that India has ever produced”, and stated that “for some years he was undoubtedly the best bowler of his type in the world”. 

VinooMankad is only Indian cricketer to have a Test match named after him. He became the fastest man in history to reach a double—scoring 1,000 runs and taking 100 wickets in only 23 Tests, a record that would only be beaten 27 years later by Ian Botham.

In 2010, when espncricinfo.com assembled an eminent jury to select an all-time great India XI, only four cricketers were unanimous choices: Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar, KapilDevand Mankad.