Test cricket all set to debut at the home of India’s first Test captain
Test cricket all set to debut at the home of India’s first Test captain
The dwindling crowd turnout at Tests played in India in the last few years had cast shadow of doubt over the future of the format, and had become an area of concern for the administrators of the game. While people gave thumbs-up to shorter formats by turning up in huge numbers at the grounds, their lukewarm response to Tests ensured that five-day games were played in front of empty stands. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a major step towards fixing this issue last year when they decided to grant Test status to six smaller centres; and one of them is Indore, which had been harboring the dream of hosting a Test for a long time. ALSO READ: Test cricket in Indore: The sheer joy
On Thursday, the longstanding dream finally came true, as the BCCI presented the city with an opportunity to host its first ever Test when New Zealand team tours India in October this year. With that Test, the traditional format of the game will make its debut at the home of India’s first Test captain Col. CK Nayudu. Though Nayudu was born in Nagpur, Indore shall forever remain his home. When he was 28, an invitation from the ruler of Holkar state brought him to the city, where he was made Captain in the Holkar army and conferred with the honour of a Colonel. Since then, he played for a major part of his career in Indore, earned his livelihood, settled with his family and died in the same city. ALSO READ: India to play 3 Tests and 5 ODIs against New Zealand
Nayudu had a massive impact on the growth of Indian cricket, as the great man is often attributed with India’s entry into Test cricket. It was his record innings of 153 — which included 14 fours and 11 sixes — against the MCC side in 1926-27 that brought about a paradigm shift in the way Indian cricket was perceived back then and forced England’s cricket authorities to take Indian cricket seriously. The MCC side was led by then Arthur Gilligan, who was a key person in England’s cricket circles and is said to have played an instrumental role in helping India get the Test status.
As a result, the Indian cricket board was established in 1928; and in 1932, an Indian team led by Nayudu locked horns with England in its first official Test. India were never expected to win the game, but the way Nayudu scored a fighting 40 in the first innings (despite a painful hand injury) won many hearts. When Test cricket came to India in December 1933, captain Nayudu scored 95 runs in the match, including a half-century. He overall played seven Tests for India, but his near 12,000 runs and 411 wickets in over 200 First-Class games make him a mighty figure in Indian cricket.
Sadly, the man — who captained India in its first away and home Tests — could not live to see cricket come to his hometown. He passed away in 1967. However, in 1983, international cricket did arrive to the city as the Nehru stadium hosted its first ODI, which saw India lose to the West Indies. Eight more games were played on the ground till 2001, with highlights being an abandoned match between India and Sri Lanka in 1997 and Sachin Tendulkar’s 10,000th ODI run. Since 2006, Indore has hosted four ODIs and two Indian Premier League (IPL) games on Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association’s (MPCA) own Holkar stadium. This ground has been luckier for India, as they have won all four games played on this ground as against the two wins from seven games at Nehru stadium.
The same Holkar ground has now gained the Test status and will become witness to an India-New Zealand Test later this year. It will be a historic moment without a shred of doubt. And, the cricket purists of Indore, who have always supported the game by turning out in huge numbers, will have that added responsibility of saving the longest form of the game by marking maximum attendance. Hopefully, they will not let their favourite game and their colonel down, and will turn up for the most important event in city’s sporting history. If Team India happens to emerge victorious, it will be a cherry on the top and, of course, a tribute to its first-ever captain.
(A self-confessed cricket freak, Chinmay Jawalekar is senior writer with CricLife and CricketCountry. When not writing or following cricket, he loves to read, eat and sleep. He can be followed here @CricfreakTweets)