ON THIS DAY
Follow UsWidely regarded as one of the greatest Indian batter to never play for India, KS Ranjitsinhji was only the second English player to score a century on his debut. His unbelievable knock came against Australia on this day 127 years ago.
The Maharaja of the then princely state Nawanagar, now Gujarat, was taken to London by the principal of Rajkumar College, Chester Macnaghten, in 1888. Having a keen interest in tennis in his early years, Ranjitsinjhi is said to have taken a keen interest in cricket after seeing the Australian cricket team play in England the same year.
The journey from taking up cricket quite late in his career to making it to the England team despite the Britishers trying to keep him out of selection owing to racial discrimination is inspirational. But Ranji did play cricket international cricket, and how!
Popularly known as the “father of Indian cricket”, Ranji is credited for introducing the leg glance - a shot the Australians had failed to counter during their tour of England in 1896. Though the then MCC chief Lord Harris didn't want to field any non-white players, England’s defeat against Australia at Lord’s during the first Test had forced him to select an in-form Ranjitsinjhi.
During the 1896 county season, only a few batters were better than Ranji. Playing for Sussex, Ranjit had hit effortless centuries against the feared Yorkshire bowlers. Apart from his tons, he had also played match-saving knocks against teams like Gloucestershire and Somerset. In doing so, he had become only the second batter and the first amateur to score 1,000 runs in a County season.
Not only against the English bowlers he had scored 79 and 42 against the Australian bowlers as well. The Aussies’ difficulty in countering Ranji’s leg glance and cut shot is well documented.
However, playing well wasn’t enough in England, especially for a player not of their nationality. His inclusion in the England squad was a source of huge debate even after the English batters had looked shaky against the Australian bowlers during the first Test.
Even when Ranji’s absence was being felt badly in the dressing room, The Times had written, “There was some feeling about KS Ranjitsinhji's absence, but although the Indian Prince has learnt all his cricket in England he could scarcely, if the title of the match were to be adhered to, have been included in the English eleven."
With the series at stake, the selection for the second Test was made by a separate committee, and Ranji was included in the squad. The Indian had decided to play only if the Australians didn't have any complaints regarding his playing. A star-studded Australia team could have had little issues with him playing, and Ranji would eventually make his Test debut for England on July 16.
However, he was thrown into the deep end almost immediately as Australia had scored 412 in the first innings, and the hosts needed to cope with a lethal bowling attack led by Ernie Jones. England legend WG Grace would fall just for two very early in the first innings to force Ranji to come in.
However, the Indian prince would carefully build an 81-run stand with Bobby Abel to take England to a comfortable position. But, once Ranji fell after scoring 62 , the English batting order collapsed to 231, thereby enabling Australia to enforce a follow-on.
With England now given the task of setting up a target, they needed stable hands to handle the second innings. Along with opener Andrew Stoddart, Ranjitsinjhi built a 43-run partnership before staying at the crease until the very end, as English players crumbled around him under pressure.
Ranji remained unbeaten on 154 off 183 in an unbelievable knock that had 23 boundaries, as England finished with 305. The next highest score was 41 by Stoddart. England had set Australia a target of 124 which was easily chased down by Australia.
Wisden had described the loud reception that Ranji had received after his knock: "[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.”
KS Ranjitsinhji went on to play 15 Tests for England, scoring 989 runs with an average of 44.95, which had two centuries and six fifties. However, his first-class career remained unparalleled for long, where the Indian would score 24,692 runs in 307 matches at an average of 56.37.
