When did the Indians? tryst with cricket begin? In trying to answer this question chroniclers and scribes have invariably turned their attention to Bombay. I did the same in my book Twenty-Two Yards to Freedom: A Social History of Indian Cricket. We have all been unanimous in suggesting that the formation of the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay by the Parsis in 1848 marked the start of organised cricket in India. Yes, there were stray attempts such as the one in 1839 when a school teacher, Boswell, tried to introduce the game among his students in Bombay, but such efforts were few and far between. It was the Parsi initiative, all scholars of Indian cricket agree, that started what is today the nation?s most relentless obsession.
However, as is often the case with history, new findings contest the old and make for fascinating new revelations. One such startling revelation was that Indian cricket was born amidst the sepoys who had accomplished themselves as players by the middle of the nineteenth century. News reports published in the Sporting Intelligence magazine brought out by the Editor of the Englishman newspaper between 1833-1850 say as much.
In a detailed account of a match played at Sylhet on March 3, 1845, the reporter states, ?You will oblige me by giving a place in your columns to the account of a match played here? (between) the European officers and the sepoys of the light company against those of the other companies of the 28th regiment.? The rest of the report is even more startling, ?The most enthusiastic European cricketers could not have played with more energy and cheerfulness than the native sepoys did. I am not a cricketer myself, but invariably attend as a spectator when the natives are playing; the knowledge that the officers, whether playing or not, take an active interest in their performances gratifies the sepoys.?
Interestingly the sepoys had acquired prowess in even the most difficult of skills, such as, wicket-keeping ? ?Among the sepoys I observed one or two who bowled well, some who were very good wicket-keepers, and others who caught well?and as fielders few Europeans can surpass them.? The report singled out sepoy Lungum for his extraordinary batting prowess and declared that in a season or two the native sepoys would be equipped to handle the best European talent in India.
From other reports published in the same magazine we come to know that sepoy cricket was well developed across the Indian heartland. On the other hand, sepoys hardly played cricket in the South where the game continued to be a preserve of the English soldiers in the army. Similarly in Bombay sepoy cricket was hardly developed. Places where it was fairly well developed were Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Agra, Cuttack, Midnapore Sylhet etc.
The well entrenched nature of native cricket across the heartland is evident from multiple reports published in the Sporting Intelligence magazine over the years. About native cricket in Agra, a report published in 1843 states that though the match was well contested the fielding and bowling of the natives was ?inferior to that of their antagonists.? The reporters declared that while the native bowlers bowled roundarm, they did so without sufficient practice and were unable to deliver the balls with any consistency.
In yet another report, sent in from Cuttack, the scribe comments ??you seem to be little acquainted with this land of the Oriahs and the sporting characters that are to be found in it?Now that the cold weather is setting in, sufficient hands can be mustered for witnessing that ?scientific, manley and truly English game.?
The report was accompanied by the scorecard of the first match of the season, according to which one of the teams had in their ranks three native players, men who may well be regarded as pioneers who chanced their arm with bat and ball 175 years earlier.
The writer is a cricket historian