THE INDIAN WHO SCORED AN ASHES TON

 

Image Credit- Wisden Cricket.

Venue- Old Trafford, Manchester [July 1896].

In the summer of 1896, Australian Cricket Team toured England to play 3 test matches. The English won the first test at Lords comfortably and all eyes were now set in Manchester.  This test has a special place in the history of English Cricket. Maharaja KS Ranjitsinhji made his international debut for England, thereby becoming the first Indian to do the same. To be honest this should have happened in the first test itself, however the racist tendency of the then English Selector Lord Harris kept him away from the side. Furthermore despite being a brilliant batsman of his time, his inclusion in the team was because of financial reasons and not solely because of his merit.

Now lets come back to the match. In the second test, the Aussies won the toss and elected to bat first. Riding upon FA Iredale's century, the visitors ended up scoring 412 in their first innings. In response the Hosts were bowled out for 231 in their first innings. AFA Lilley scored 65, whereas debutant KS Ranjitsinhji scored a cautious 62. 

The Aussies enforced a follow on and this is when we witnessed the best of Maharaja. KS Ranjitsinji scored a marvelous 154* against the hostile bowling line-up of the visitors. The remaining players of his side were struggling to score runs, but not him. It was a fine display of his skills as because of his hundred the hosts ended up scoring 305 in their second innings.

 Everyone was in awe of his innings. In the words of Wisden, "The famous young Indian fairly rose to the occasion, playing an innings that could, without exaggeration, be fairly described as marvelous. He punished the Australian bowlers in a style that, up to that period of the season, no other English batsman had approached. He repeatedly brought off his wonderful strokes on the leg side, and for a while had the Australian bowlers quite at his mercy." 

Though it were Aussies who won the game, but it was the Maharaja who stole the show. However it is pertinent to note that though the majority of English public loved his innings, but not the the establishment who viewed him as a heathen. The dark reality of colonial times. 

[Postscript- The English won the third test at Oval and thus lifted the urn, thereby making Maharaja Ranjitsinhji a part of the Ashes winning squad].