India played its 1st ever test at Lord's against England in 1932.It was a 3-day test match.India was led by C.K.Nayudu,who lead team and a nation which was still under the British rule. It was like a match between the master and the slave. The master was there to dictate,while the slave follows the master. England batted 1st,and it was the legendary Mohammed Nisar, who bowled the 1st ever ball for India.Nissar also got 5-wicket haul.Wisden speaks "Mohammed Nissar was India's first pace bowler, possible one of the fastest they have ever produced, and one of the best too."India must have bowled particularly well,since the English team consisted of people like Herbert Sutcliffe(the only batsman in test cricket whose career batting avg. never dropped below 60 right from his debut...even Bradman didn't have such a record),Wally Hammond (the one-time highest scorer in test cricket with 336),Percy Holmes and the legendary captain Douglas Jardine.England scored 'just' 259 in their 1st innings.When India's1st innings started,Janardan Navle,who was also the wicket-keeper,faced the 1st ball for India in tests.India was all out for 189,with captain C.K.Nayudu top scoring with 40.England declared their 2nd innings at 275/8,with Jahingir Khan picking up 4 wickets for India.This was the same legendary Jahingir Khan who's son Majid Khan captained Pakistan in tests,while his grand-son Bazid Khan played tests too!
It is to be noted that,none of the English batsmen managed to score a 100 againt India! Eng set a target of 346 runs for India to win.But India could manage just 187 runs,with fast-bowler Amar Singh scoring 51,which happened to be the first half-century in tests by an Indian."There is no better bowler in the world today than Amar Singh,'' said Len Hutton in an informal chat with pressmen at Madras in 1970.This was India's 1st ever half-century. The English pace attck was led by Bill Voce,yes the same Voce who was Larwood's opening ball partner in the (in)famous Bodyline attack.You can only imagine the pace at which he must have bowled in this match.. ...England won by 158 runs,but India came of age to show a fighting spirit,while going down.Hats off to all those brave Indian cricketers who played that match.The match was lost,but the history of Indian cricket had already started,in their own "owner's" backyard. How easy was it to face your 'master' in the eyes and break the stumps with a fast yorker,or how tough was it to hit the ball for a boundary? This was the courage shown by those brave men,most of them probably didn't even know to speak English,as you can guess.
Today,Indian cricket has changed. Today India has gone to the backyard of the world champions,since 1999, and won the series. They probably gave the best fight for the 'unofficial' test champions.It has been a long journey,of 75 years. If Indian hockey fell from gold to mud,Indian cricket rose from rugs to riches.Jack Hobbs rated Navle,the wicket keeper, in the same league as George Duckworth and Bert Oldfield, which is high praise indeed.In his later life he worked as a security guard in a sugar mill and lived in a humble two room flat in Poona. He died in the streets,trying to earn a living. Sadly,Indian cricket has forgotten Mohammed Nissar and Amar Singh. Today, people earn in millions. Indian cricket has changed,India has changed.But history can't,for it was written with pride.
