Revolt and Agitate: How India got its first captain
June 25, 1932. History made at Lord's.
What if I told you India's first test captain could have been a Maharaja and not a cricketer. A Maharaja who was famously known to have collected more Rolls-Royce than runs. An all-India tour of England was announced in 1932. The team was supposed to play 26 first-class games, which also included an official test match.
Maharajas used to be the patrons of cricket in India at that time. And by virtue of that were guaranteed a spot in the team, sometimes even captaincy. Skill had nothing to do with their selection. Maharaja of Patiala and Vizianagaram were in constant tussle for control. Both wanted to captain India in the historic first Test.
Vizzy succeeded in drafting a star-studded side composed of Herbert Sutcliff and Jack Hobbs for a tour in 1931 - no easy feat by any means. In response, Patiala arranged for the training for England's tour of 1932 at Bardari Palace in Patiala and also offered to sponsor the tour. But when the time came, both withdrew from the tour citing administrative duties and health concerns.
Eventually, Maharaja of Porbandar was appointed as the captain with Maharaja of Limbdi as his deputy. But it soon became apparent that Porbandar had little to contribute on the field. He realised the importance of this historic moment and withdrew his name from the match. C.K. Nayudu was appointed the captain. But there was one final hurdle left.
Some players were not satisfied with Nayudu as the captain. A commoner as the captain was unacceptable to them. They wanted a Maharaja only to lead. With a few hours left before the start of the match, they expressed their displeasure to the Maharaja of Patiala. But even Patiala knew this was no ordinary match. It was history in the making. He instructed that C.K. Nayudu will remain captain.
June 25, 1932. C.K. Nayudu walked out at the Lord's Cricket Ground along with Douglas Jardine as India's first Test captain. As the coin went up in the air, India had become a Test playing nation.
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