On this day in 1966: The legendary Clive Lloyd’s Test debut

A behemoth of the game, former West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd was one of the founding pillars of an all-conquering Caribbean side that ruled cricket for nearly two decades. Renowned for his calm and composed demeanour, the West Indian made his debut for the national side on this very day in 1966.

The Windies, led by the mercurial Gary Sobers, travelled to Brabourne for the first Test match of the series against hosts India. The home side won the toss and elected to bat first in the series opener. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s side finished with a decent tally of 296 runs in their first innings thanks to Chandu Borde’s glittering ton.

West Indies, in reply, posted a mammoth total of 421 runs on the back of Conrad Hunte. The debutant, Clive Lloyd, also chipped in with a solid 82 on his first outing in Test cricket. The visitors were in a commanding position in the contest despite Bhagwat Chandrasekhar’s seven-wicket haul.

The home side put up a valiant fight in the second innings, posting a competitive total of 316 runs on the board. Indian skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi led from the front with a combative half-century, while Budhi Kunderan defied the Windies with a dogged 79. Needing 192 runs in the fourth innings, the West Indies lost four wickets before reaching the three-figure mark and were in a spot of bother.

However, Clive Llyod displaced immense maturity and composure in a decisive partnership with skipper Gary Sobers that ultimately decided the fate of the series opener. His unbeaten 78, along with Sobers’ 53, guided the visitors to a six-wicket victory in Brabourne. Llyod went on to represent the West Indies in 110 Tests, laying the foundation of a fearsome pace attack that terrified even the best batters of his generation.

He was also the first Windies player to win 100 Test caps for the national side and led the Caribbean outfit to two World Cup titles during his reign as captain of the side.