Indian cricket team in England in 1911

Last updated

The Indian cricket team touring England and the British Isles in the summer of 1911 was the first all-Indian team to tour the country. The team was led by the then 19-year old Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh and had representation from the Parsees, Hindus, and the Muslims. The team had limited success winning only two amongst the 23 matches that they played on the tour.

Contents

Background

The early 1900s were marked with violence between young Indians and British officials in India. It was then decided that a pan-national team touring England would generate goodwill and portray a positive image of the British empire. [1] The first all-Indian team to tour the British Isles was in 1911, which had representation from the Parsees, the Hindus, and the Muslims. The team was captained by the then Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, who was then aged 19. [1]

Indian squad

Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (1911) having his pads adjusted before going in to bat. Bhupinder Singh of Patiala; The Maharajah goes a-cricketing.png
Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (1911) having his pads adjusted before going in to bat.

In the 19th century, two representative teams of the Parsees had toured England in 1886 and 1888 with limited success. However, these teams were limited by representation and were not an all-Indian team. [1]

When the organizers of the tour were putting together the team, their first choice of a captain was Ranjitsinhji, the Jam Sahib , who by the time had been instated as the ruler of Nawanagar in 1907. However, Ranji was keeping away from organized cricket in British India, having been called out for his administrative lapses in tackling the plague and subsequent drought that had afflicted his state. Ranji declined the invitation and sent across a note offering his 'cordial sympathy' and instead offered Rupees 1,000 toward the guarantee fund. [2] Two other cricketing royals who were already in Britain, Rajkumar Shivaji Rao of Baroda and Rajkumar Hitendara Narayan of Cooch Behar, who were both pursuing their studies, were not considered for captaincy. Rao was the son of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda, and was studying at Christ Church, Oxford, while Narayan was the son of Nripendra Narayan and was at Eton College and later at Cambridge. [3] With this, the organizers landed on the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, as the captain of the team. Some reports, including a statement from one of the selectors said that another factor for this choice was to get the services of the Maharajah's private secretary Kekhashru Mistry. [3]

The eventual Indian squad of 1911, captained by Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, also had his aide-de-camp and Parsee cricketer Major Kekhashru Mistry, and had representation by way of six Parsis, five Hindus, and three Muslims. [1] [4] The team also had two Dalits, then considered as 'untouchables', Palwankar Baloo and his brother Palwankar Shivram. [1] Shivram was hurriedly called into the team after two players, Maneck Chand and Noor Elahi, withdrew from the tour in the days prior to the tour, due per some accounts to their employer, the Maharajah of Kashmir, rescinding permission to have them take part in the tour. [5]

Source(s): [6] [7]

Summary

The all-Indian team played 23 games in the British Isles between 1 June 1911 and 26 August 1911. The team did not have much success winning only two of the games. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack called the tournament a "complete disappointment". [1]

Reception

The Indian team departed Bombay on 6 May 1911 from Ballard Pier, seen off by a large crowd, and reached Marseille two weeks later. They covered the further journey to London by train. While the captain, the Maharaja of Patiala, covered the trip in a deluxe train and got off at Charing Cross, the rest of the team members covered this journey in a regular train. There was significant attention on the Maharaja, with the Daily Express writing, "His Highness's gorgeous costume of rich flowered silk of bright hue attracted much attention as he strode the platform wearing about his neck a garland of roses." The Maharaja was received at the Buckingham Palace by George V, whose coronation was a few weeks away. [1] He addressed the media from his a private villa that had been rented for him on Addison Road in Kensington and told the Sporting Life, "This tour marks an epoch in Indian history. It is the first occasion in the annals of our country that the great Indian communities have been banded together in one team. Association in the sports field, the bringing together in one common object all classes of our race, and the meeting with the best class of English sportsmen, can only strengthen the bonds of union and good-fellowship." [1] While the Maharaja stayed at the private villa, the rest of the Indian team continued to the Victoria station and stayed at the Imperial Hotel. [1] [8] The manager of the team, J. M. Divecha, viewed the tour as an educational trip and told the Sporting Life, "We know that we cannot claim to be great cricketers but we hope to be much better for our experiences, and we will carry back to India and assimilate the knowledge we have gained here." [1]

Tour summary

The Indian team started the tour by playing against three of the stronger teams, Oxford University, Marylebone Cricket Club, and the Cambridge University. In these three games, the team was beaten comprehensively, twice by an innings and once by eight wickets. During this time, the team was plagued by the captain, the Maharaja, being away for societal events and other responsibilities. He spent much of his time socializing with the London elite, attending parties and the various coronation-related events. He even had a private audience with the King, George V, and was a guest of his in the royal pavilion at Ascot. In July, after the coronation of the king, the Maharaja had a surgery for tonsillitis and suffered a hemmorage. With these events, the Maharaja shortened his stay with the team and returned to India after three games. He took his aide-de-camp and batsman K. M. Mistry, the team's best batsman, back along with him significantly weakening the team's capabilities. [1] [9]

After the Maharaja's departure, the team was captained by Parsee, Hormasji Kanga. [1] Kanga had earlier represented Hampstead Cricket Club in a prior season, and had also played for the MCC after completing his medical studies earlier in England. [1] [10]

Select match summaries

First-class: India versus Oxford University Cricket Club

2 June 1911
Scorecard
v
193 (71.1 overs)
Maharaja of Patiala 47
A. J. Evans 4/17
242 (69.5 overs)
I. P. F. Campbell 106
M. D. Bulsara 5/87
97 (44.3 overs)
B. P. Baloo 27
A. J. Evans 5/32
49/2 (8 overs)
R. O. Lagden 29
J. S. Warden 1/4
Oxford University won by 8 wickets
Christ Church College Ground, Oxford
Umpires: H. B. Daft and G. Quelch

First-class: India versus Marylebone Cricket Club

9 June 1911
Scorecard
v
204 (64 overs)
K. M. Mistry 78
J. T. Hearne 5/47
468 (104.1 overs)
E. H. D. Sewell 129
Salamuddin 5/128
96 (28.3 overs)
B. Jayaram 23
F. A. Tarrant 4/29
Marylebone Cricket Club won by an innings and 168 runs
Lord's Cricket Ground
Umpires: C. E. Richardson and J. P. Whiteside

First-class: India versus Cambridge University

14 June 1911
Scorecard
v
434 (88.5 overs)
H. G. H. Mulholland 153
B. P. Baloo 8/103
183 (67.2 overs)
K. M. Mistry 53
J. H. Bruce-Lockhart 6/55
180 (66.4 overs)
K. M. Mistry 39
M. Falcon 5/50
Cambridge University won by an innings and 71 runs
F. P. Fenner's Ground, Cambridge
Umpires: A. F. Bannister and J. Blake

Return to India

The return of the team back to India found a lot of coverage in the Indian media. The Hindu wrote, "It must be regretfully acknowledged that judging by the performances of the team, the best cricket in India is only second class". [11] The Indian Spectator , wrote, "Our national cricket team has returned from England with the confession that it had to learn much and teach little." [11] Some of the European owned newspapers were more appreciative of the team's performance, with the Bombay Gazette writing, "The Indian cricketers' tour has come to an end and they can look back upon their record with justifiable pride'. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palwankar Baloo</span> Indian cricketer (1876–1955)

Palwankar Baloo was an Indian cricketer and political activist. In 1896, he was selected by Parmanandas Jivandas Hindu Gymkhana and played in the Bombay Quadrangular tournaments. He was employed by the Bombay Berar and Central Indian Railways, and also played for the latter's corporate cricket team. He played in the all-Indian team led by the Maharaja of Patiala during their tour of England in 1911 where Baloo's outstanding performance was praised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. K. Nayudu</span> Indian cricketer

Colonel Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu was an Indian cricketer and cricket administrator who served as the first-ever captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is widely regarded as one of India's greatest cricketers. His first-class cricket career spanned over 47 years from 1916 to 1963, a world record. He was a right-handed batsman, an accurate medium pace bowler, and a fine fielder. His ability to hit long sixes sent crowds into frenzy and became a part of Indian cricket folklore. He was chosen as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1933. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 1956 — the first cricketer to be conferred the honour.

John Glennie Greig was an English first-class cricketer and cricket administrator, British Army officer, racquets and tennis player, and Roman Catholic priest.

Lall Singh was an early Indian Test cricketer from British Malaya.

The Bombay Tournament was an annual cricket competition held in British India between 1892 and 1946. Until 1936, matches were played on either the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay or the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Poona, and then at the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay until the tournament was terminated in 1946. The tournament was known variously as the Bombay Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, Bombay Quadrangular, and Bombay Pentangular, depending on the number of competing teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharaja of Patiala</span> Title of the ruler of Patiala State

The Maharaja of Patiala was the title of the ruler of the princely state of Patiala, in British India. The first ruler of Patiala was Baba Ala Singh, who held the title of Raja. The second and third rulers, Amar Singh and Sahib Singh, respectively, held the held the title of Raja-e-Rajgan. Karam Singh, the fourth ruler, was the first ruler of Patiala who held the title of Maharaja. By the time of the seventh Maharaja, Rajinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala was recognized as the leader of the Sikh community and the most foremost prince in Punjab. During the British Raj, the Patiala maharajas were entitled to a 17-gun salute and had precedence over all the other princes in Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhupinder Singh of Patiala</span> Maharaja of Patiala (r. 1900–1938) and cricket player

Sir Bhupinder Singh, was the Maharaja of Patiala and a cricket player. Singh's reign as Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala, in British India, lasted from 1900 to 1938. He was born in a Sidhu royal Jat Sikh family. During his reign, Singh was most noted for his extravagance, contributions to sports, and for being an ally to the British Raj. He was also a member of the Phulkian dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian cricket team in England in 1932</span> International cricket tour

The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1932 season under the title of "All-India". They were captained by the Maharaja of Porbandar. It was the national team's second tour of England following the one in 1911. India had just been granted the status of ICC Full Member and they played their inaugural Test match at Lord's in June. It was the only Test arranged on this tour and England won by 158 runs after scoring 259 and 275/8d in the two innings while India were bowled out for 189 and 187.

This article describes the history of cricket in British India from the 1918–19 season until the end of the Second World War in 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajinder Singh of Patiala</span> Maharaja of Patiala from 1876–1900

Sir Rajinder Singh was the Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala from 1876 to 1900. During his reign, Singh was noted for his military service, extravagant spending habits, tense relations with the British Raj, marriage to an Irish woman named Florence Bryan, and his contributions to sports both as a player and as a financial benefactor. Singh was regarded as the leader of the Sikh community and the premier Maharaja in Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moti Bagh Palace</span> Royal palace in Punjab, India

Moti Bagh Palace is a palace in Patiala, also known as Pearl Garden Palace. The word "Moti" means "pearl", and "Bagh" means "garden". The palace was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh, the great-grandfather of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, in 1847, at a cost of half a million rupees. The Old Moti Bagh Palace and New Moti Bagh Palace were built respectively by Maharaja Narinder Singh and Maharaja Yadavindra Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. P. Bajana</span> Indian amateur cricketer (1886–1927)

Manek Pallon Bajana was an Indian amateur cricketer who played 55 first-class cricket matches between 1911 and 1920. Originally a member of the Indian team which toured England in 1911, he remained in the country and joined Somerset County Cricket Club, for which he played as an opening batsman until 1920. During his nine-year first-class cricket career, Bajana scored 1,975 runs at an average of 20.78. He scored three centuries, and made his highest score in 1920, scoring 115 runs against Cambridge University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Tarrant</span> Australian cricketer and umpire

Loris Bernard Napoleon Tarrant was an Australian cricketer who both played and umpired first-class matches in India during the 1930s. Unusually, he made his debut as a first-class umpire before making his debut as a first-class player.

Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Roy Bahadur (Moitra) (20 October 1868- 5 January 1925) known as the Maharaja of Natore was a noted zamindar of Natore from Bengal. He is also noted for his contribution to the game of cricket in British India.

Herbert Walter Green was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. Jayaram</span> Indian cricketer

Bangalore Jayaram was an Indian cricketer who had represented the London County Cricket Club in the early 1900s, and was also a part of the All-Indian cricket team in England in 1911.

Mukundrao Damodar Pai was an Indian cricketer and a member of the first Indian team that toured England in 1911 under the captaincy of Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Pai was the first Indian cricketer to score a century on his first-class debut, playing for the Hindus against the Europeans in the Bombay Presidency game in 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilvidi Seshachari</span> Indian cricketer (1875–1917)

Kilvidi Seshachari was an Indian cricketer and a member of the first Indian cricket team to tour England in 1911. He played for the Hindus team as a wicket-keeper in the Bombay Quadrangular tournaments between 1902 and 1912. He was considered the best wicket-keeper in India in reports from the period. In addition to the Hindus cricket team in Bombay and the Indian team that toured England, Seshachari played for the Ootacamund Civilians and the Maharaja of Natore's cricket teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kekhashru Mistry</span> Indian cricketer

Colonel Kekhashru Maneksha Mistry was an Indian cricketer who was a member of the first all-Indian cricket team to tour England in 1911. A left-handed batsman and a left-arm bowler, he was considered one of India's first all-rounders. Mistry was a member of the Parsees cricket team in the Bombay Presidency tournaments and also played for the Maharaja of Patiala's team.

Harold Pogson was an English first-class cricketer and a colonial police officer in British India.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Alderman, Elgan. "Hundreds and heatwaves: the story of the 1911 All India tour to England that helped shape the country's identity". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. ↑ Kidambi, Prashant (25 July 2019). Cricket Country. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-884313-9. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 Kidambi, Prashant (25 July 2019). Cricket Country. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-884313-9. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Bhupendra Singh (Maharaja of Patiala) and India's 1911 tour of England". Cricket Country. 17 October 2017. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. ↑ Kidambi, Prashant (25 July 2019). Cricket Country. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-884313-9. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "Warwickshire v India at Birmingham, 15-16 Jun 1911". static.espncricinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "Cricket 1911". archive.acscricket.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  8. ↑ Berry, Scyld; Booth, Lawrence (6 August 2015). The Shorter Wisden 2011 - 2015. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4729-2733-0. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Berry, Scyld; Booth, Lawrence (6 August 2015). The Shorter Wisden 2011 - 2015. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4729-2733-0. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  10. ↑ Publishing, Bloomsbury (14 April 2011). The Shorter Wisden 2011: Selected writing from Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2011. A&C Black. ISBN   978-1-4081-9699-1. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Kidambi, Prashant (25 July 2019). Cricket Country. Oxford University Press. pp. 594–595. ISBN   978-0-19-884313-9. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.