Elephant at The Oval: When Indian cricket marched into history - on four legs and with a trunk

Some moments in cricket transcend the game itself - when willow and leather become merely conduits for something deeper, almost mythical. A few of them even seem like divine choreography.

India’s final Test at The Oval in their 1971 tour of England probably saw the finest examples of one such celestial script unfolding.

Not just because of the historic result, which saw the Indian cricket team win the match to record their first-ever Test match and red-ball series win on English turf, but because of what happened before the final day of the match played out.

Thousands in attendance at Kennington on the day, some bemused, some awestruck and a few with their hands folded in devotion, saw an elephant named Bella draped in ceremonial clothing scampering across the outfield of the iconic Oval before the start of the match.

Yes, a real-life elephant, in South London, during a cricket Test match!

So, who is Bella and what was she doing at The Oval on the morning of August 24, 1971 - the day Indian cricket came of age?

Bella’s story has all the makings of a Bollywood script and to tell it right, a flashback is necessary.

Before Bella

Until 1971, India had never won a Test match in England. In 19 attempts, they had lost 15 and drawn four - two of those thanks largely to rain.

Consider the last 12 India vs England Test matches, and the team from the subcontinent had lost 11.

While there had been sparks at home - India’s first Test win over England came in 1951, and their first series victory in 1961 - the British Isles remained an unconquered bastion - a frontier where Indian sides had historically folded without much resistance.

But the India that landed in London in June of 1971 under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar had a different aura about it – confident, well-balanced and buoyed by recent success.

Just months earlier, they had stunned the West Indies in the Caribbean, securing their first series win there. A young Sunil Gavaskar had announced himself with 774 runs in four Tests.

Click here to read article