On June 25, 1932, ninety-one years ago, a cricket team from India called “All-India” started out on a historic tour to England, during which they played their first ever Test match. Starting with this four-day tournament at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Indians cricket has a dynamic and long history.
Just twelve months later, on December 15, the same squad, coached by Colonel CK Nayadu, played its first Test match in India, marking the beginning of a pivotal chapter. At the Bombay Gymkhana Club, the contest pitted Douglas Jardine’s England squad against India’s.
Indians MP Shashi Tharoor marked this historic event by uploading an amazing photo of a first Test match that was played on Indians soil. If asked about the significance of the day, Mr. Tharoor replied, “Today identifies the 90th anniversary of the first-ever cricket Test match played on Indian soil, India vs. England, at the historical Bombay Gymkhana ground on December 15, 1933.” This article celebrates an important event that set the stage for the glorious history of cricket in India.
Today marks the 90th anniversary of the first-ever cricket Test match played on Indian soil, India vs England at the historic Bombay Gymkhana ground on 15 December 1933. [pic]
Since Indians (& dogs) were not allowed on the Gymkhana premises those days, the Maharaja of Patiala,… pic.twitter.com/1kCJP1M0MR
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 15, 2023
The Gymkhana grounds were off-limits to Indians and even dogs at that era. The Maharaja of Patiala took exception to the unfair treatment of his fellow countrymen and chose to build the Brabourne Stadium and the Cricket Club of India in reaction. The pavilion at the new location notably did not include any anti-racist signs. Having the privilege of viewing multiple Test matches throughout my boyhood, it became an important place, said Mr. Tharoor.
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English captain Douglas Jardine’s controversial “Bodyline” strategy became famous during the 1932–1933 Ashes series against Australia. By targeting the body of the batter, this tactic hoped to undermine the exceptional batting abilities of Australian players like Sir Don Bradman. In the “Bodyline Ashes” of 1932–1933, England came out on top, winning 4-1.
Stars like Vijay Merchant, Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rohit Sharma have been supported in Mumbai, which is known as the historical cricket center of India. In 1933, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s efforts led to the establishment of the Cricket Club of India (CCI), a subsidiary of the BCCI.
He was instrumental in getting the Indians cricket squad together. After the CCI team experienced racism at the Gymkhana Club, the world-famous Brabourne Stadium was built to house them.Because of what happened at the Bombay Gymkhana Club in 1933, which paved the way for a cricket club that Indians could join, this Test match is important for the Indians squad.
Forty years later, the magnificent Wankhede Stadium was built on the site of a dispute between the CCI and the Bombay Cricket Association (BCA), marking yet another chapter in Mumbai’s illustrious cricketing past.