India@75: Legend Lala Amarnath, India's first Test centurion

1933, December 15. The famed Gymkhana cricket grounds, Mumbai. It was the first test being played at home after India became a member of the International Cricket Conference. The power-packed England team was led by none other than Douglas Jardine. 

The architect of the previous year's Ashes series infamously called the Body line series when England targeted the Australian batters, including Don Bradman, with their intimidatory bouncers. India was led by the great C K Nayudu. 

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England, who batted first, amassed 438 runs in their first innings. In response, India was dismissed for a paltry 219. The 22-year-old debutante from Punjab named Nanik Amarnath Bhardwaj, who scored 38 was the top scorer for India. 

A pathetic innings defeat stared at India. India followed on but started crumbling right from the beginning with both the openers back in the pavilion, with the total marking just 21 runs. The one-down batter was again the Punjabi lad, Amarnath. What the Gymkhana ground witnessed later was incredible. The youngster unleashed a storm. He sends the famed English bowlers on a virtual leather hunt. It was pretty similar to what is seen in the present-day Twenty Twenty match. Amarnath scored more than a run a minute and notched up 88 in just 78 minutes. He was on the way to creating history. 

Amarnath became the first Indian cricketer to score a century in an international test. And that too in his debut test. His century included 21 boundaries. When skipper Nayudu who gave able support to Amarnath, was dismissed for 67, India was 207 for three and almost averted an innings defeat. But with most other batters dismissed cheaply, India could put together a total of only 258 runs, all though the innings defeat was averted.

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England effortlessly scored 40 runs in the 2nd innings to register a win. But even in the defeat, Amarnath emerged as a superstar. It was also a moment of great pride for the nation fighting British rule. India's political masters and originators of the game were humbled by Amarnath's century even when they won the three teat-series, 2-0.

Amarnath, born in a poor Brahmin family of Kapurthala, was adopted by a rich Muslim family impressed by the boy's cricketing prowess. He went on to become independent India's first captain. Amarnath, who also bowled medium pace, led India's first series win against Pakistan in 1952. Lala had also questioned the hegemony of princes and lords over India's cricket establishment and suffered much discrimination. He played 24 tests and became the chairman of India's selection committee post-independence. 

Amarnath's sons Mohinder and Surinder played for India. Winner of Padmabhushan in 1991. Lala Amarnath expired at the age of 88 in 2000. The batter who proved a match for the English in their own game.

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