Probashi- Sports
Probashi- Sports
First Indian Test Cricket Team
The first Parsi Club cricket team which went to England in 1886 . Top Row : AB Patel , S Bezonjee , Standing : C . Payno ( Umpire ), MP Bonajee , PC Major , SN Bhedwar , DD Khambatta , AC Major , JD Pochkhana , Seated : AB Libuwala , PD Dastur , Dr DM Patel , M Pramjee and BP Bolla , Ground : JM Morneas , BB Baria , SH Harvar
23 years ( 1911 ) before an Indian Team of truly national character would go on an overseas tour . In true sense the 1911 team was the first national Indian Cricket team . The team was captained by Maharaja of Patiala , not primarily because of his cricketing credentials but more for his royal lineage . The 1911 team did not do very well – it played 14 first‐class matches , won 2 , drew 2 and lost 10 . While the result is imminently forgettable , the team made a statement which is worth remembering and celebrating . In this team were two brothers Baloo Palwankar and Shivram Palwankar , untouchables by caste . The presence of players from untouchable caste in a team with majority upper caste Hindu team members and captained by a royal was revolutionary for the early twentieth century India . By selecting the Palwankar brothers the selectors made the statementthat ability and not caste which mattered on the cricket field . Baloo justified his selection – this slow left‐arm spinner took 75 wickets at 20.12 with a best analysis of 8‐103 . He received several offers to stay in England and play as a professional . He choose to come home . What is surprising is that Baloo had learnt his cricket by occasionally bowling at the nets of a cricket club where he was paid to sweep and roll the pitch . Baloo was felicitated on his return home and one of the organisers of the event was a young man named BR Ambedkar . Do we see strains of Kacchra from the film Lagaan in the achievement of Baloo Palwankar ? Cricket was getting popular in India , there was a domestic league , Indian teams had undertaken three foreign tours and there were a bunch of promising Indian players . However India was still considered babe in the woods as far as cricket was concerned and not accorded Test status , for it had yet to prove its mettle against crack English teams . The opportunity came when Marylebone Cricket Club ( MCC ) team visited India in 1926‐27 under the stewardship of test player and
English captain Arthur Gilligan . The MCC team was to play local Indian teams and showcase English skills at cricket . The match which made the English sit up and take Indian cricket seriously was one played between the Hindu club and the MCC at Bombay Gymkhana . CK Naidu hit 153 in 116 minutes with 11 sixes . This was made against the fearsome pace attack of Maurice Tate , George Geary and Bob Wyatt . The MCC presented Naidu with a silver bat in acknowledgement of that innings . Cricket historians believe that it was this particular knock that impressed Gilligan who carried the message to the authorities in England that India was ready to play Test cricket .
June 25 , 1932 was a historic moment for Indian cricket‐ India was to play its first cricket test match against the full strength English team at the Lords cricket ground . The Indian captain Maharaja of Porbander sat out of the match‐ a gesture which needs to be acknowledged , for the Maharaja was not the best cricketer amongst 18 member team , the mantle of captainship he handed to CK Naidu unquestionably the most experienced in the team . Mohammad Nissar bowled India ’ s first ball in Test Cricket . Facing him was the world ’ s best opening batsman of that time Herbert Sutcliffe . Sutcliff ’ s career batting average at 60.73 is the highest by any English batsman and the sixthhighest worldwide . At the non striker ’ s end stood Percy Holmes , who along with Sutcliffe held the then world record of highest opening partnership of 555 runs in first class cricket . The Indian bowling attack was facing the world ’ s best opening batting pair . Even to the most patriotic Indian