Indian cricket team in England in 1911
The Indian cricket team touring England and the
. The team had limited success winning only two amongst the 23 matches that they played on the tour.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
Indian squad
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
- Maharaja of Patiala
- Kekhashru Mistry
- Mukundrao Pai
- HF Mulla
- RP Meherhomji
- Bangalore Jayaram
- Hormasji Kanga
- JS Warden
- Palwankar Shivram
- Salamuddin
- Palwankar Baloo
- Shafqat Hussain
- Kilvidi Seshachari (wicket-keeper)
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
Tour summary
The Indian team started the tour by playing against three of the stronger teams,
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 |
India |
v
|
|
First-class: India versus Marylebone Cricket Club
9 June 1911
Scorecard |
India |
v
|
|
204 (64 overs)
K. M. Mistry 78 5/47J. T. Hearne |
||
First-class: India versus Cambridge University
14 June 1911
Scorecard |
v
|
India | |
183 (67.2 overs)
K. M. Mistry 53 6/55J. H. Bruce-Lockhart | ||
180 (66.4 overs)
K. M. Mistry 39 5/50M. Falcon |
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]
References
- ^ from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-19-884313-9. Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-884313-9. Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ISBN 978-0-19-884313-9. Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Warwickshire v India at Birmingham, 15-16 Jun 1911". static.espncricinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ "Cricket 1911". archive.acscricket.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4729-2733-0. Archivedfrom the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4729-2733-0. Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-9699-1. Archivedfrom the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-884313-9. Archivedfrom the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
Further reading
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1912
- Ramachandra Guha, A Corner of a Foreign Field - An Indian History of a British Sport, Picador, 2001
External links
- All-Indian cricket team in England 1911 - Tour Scorecards at ESPNcricinfo