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The [[Sri Lanka cricket team|Ceylon cricket team]] visited [[India]] in December 1940 and January 1941. Ceylon did not then have [[Test cricket|Test]] status, but two three-day unofficial Tests were played: the first was drawn, and [[India cricket team|India]] won the second. The tour also included one other [[first-class cricket|first-class]] match and two minor matches.

It was the second tour abroad by a Ceylonese team, and one of only two international cricket tours to take place during [[World War II]]; the other was the [[Indian cricket team in Ceylon in 1944–45|Indian tour to Ceylon in 1944-45]].

==The Ceylon team==
{{Div col}}
*[[Sargo Jayawickreme]] (captain) 
*[[Alexander Gooneratne]]
*[[Gerry Gooneratne]]
*[[Mervyn Gooneratne]]
*[[Don Jayasundera]]
*[[Mervyn Kelaart]] 
*[[Louis Mendis]]
*[[Ben Navaratne]]
*[[Bill Porritt]]
*[[John Pulle]]
*[[Harry Roberts (cricketer, born 1909)|Harry Roberts]]
*[[Ranny Solomons]]
*Abdul Wahid
{{div col end}}
Jayawickreme and Kelaart were the only members of the party that had taken part in Ceylon's previous [[Ceylonese cricket team in India in 1932–33|tour in 1932-33]].

Wahid, an opening batsman and left-arm spin bowler who played for [[Moors Sports Club]] in [[Colombo]], played only in the two minor matches, and never played first-class cricket.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.moorssc.org/sports.php| title = Cricket| publisher = Moors Sports Club| accessdate = 25 September 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170925035702/http://www.moorssc.org/sports.php| archive-date = 25 September 2017| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/349/349433/349433.html | title = Abdul Wahid | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 25 September 2017}}</ref>

==The tour==
The tour began with a victory for Ceylon over [[Tamil Nadu cricket team|Madras]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/17/17289.html| title = Madras v Ceylon 1940-41 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 22 September 2017}}</ref> The first international match, against an Indian team consisting mostly of players from [[Bengal cricket team|Bengal]], followed in [[Kolkata|Calcutta]]; it was drawn after Ceylon had taken a first-innings lead of 121 thanks to an innings of 138 by Jayawickreme.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/17/17295.html | title = Indian XI v Ceylon, Calcutta 1940-41 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 22 September 2017}}</ref> In the second international match three days later in [[Mumbai|Bombay]], India fielded an entirely different team, which overwhelmed Ceylon by an innings and 110 runs.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/17/17297.html| title = Indian XI v Ceylon, Bombay 1940-41 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 22 September 2017}}</ref> Two minor matches followed; both were drawn.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/1/Ceylon_in_India_1940-41.html Ceylon in India 1940-41] at CricketArchive
* [http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1940S/1940-41/CEYLON_IN_IND/ Ceylon in India, 1940-41] at [[Cricinfo]]

{{International cricket tours of India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceylon cricket team in India in 1940-41}}
[[Category:1940 in Indian cricket]]
[[Category:1941 in Indian cricket]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan cricket tours of India|1940-41]]
[[Category:Indian cricket seasons from 1918–19 to 1944–45]]
[[Category:International cricket competitions from 1918–19 to 1945]]