A Year in Lala Amarnath 's Life

A CERTAIN Mr. Muni Lal  who used to live at 51-A, Ferozepur Road , Lahore , brought out Crickinia , a sort of Indian Wisden , in October 1939, barely a month after the outbreak of the Second World War . In his preface, Mr. Muni Lal wrote:

          "A large share in compiling the book has been taken by Mr. F. W. Bustin, Acting Editor of The Civil & Military Gazette , whose advice and suggestions were of inestimable value on numerous occasions. We have to thank him with great appreciation for readily acceding to our request to help us in preparing the annual."

          Crickinia  selected five cricketers of the year 1938-39. They were Amarnath , Wazir Ali , Vijay Merchant , J. Naoomal, and Mohammad Nisar . Amarnath died in New Delhi  on Aug 5. Newspaper reports put his date of birth as September 11, 1911. However, according to Crickinia , the Lala was born in October 1906. His 1938 address was "c/o the Rajndra Gymkhana, Patiala ."

          Crickinia  gave the following account of Amarnath 's career until 1938:

The victim of "disciplinary measure" in 1936 when he was sent back to India  from England  on charges thrashed and found "insufficient" by the Beaumont Committee, appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sift the matter, has created history on three occasions.

1-   By scoring a century in the first Test match at Bombay  against D. R. Jardine 's MCC  team he earned the distinction of being the first Indian  cricketer to score a hundred in the England -India  Test series.

2-   His 130 and 107 in the first and second innings of a match against Essex at Brentwood during the 1936 India  tour to England  is a performance unique in the history of Indian  cricket (not so any longer).

3-   The "disciplinary measure" taken against him was unprecedented in the history of world cricket (not so any longer).

During his short stay in England , Amaranth caught the eyes of the critics and won their admiration to such an extent that the Nelson Club  engaged him to play for them in the Lancashire League.

          He performed creditably for this club in 1938 and the club further entered into a contract with the Indian  for three years.

          Amarnath 's aggregate of 613 in the 20 innings he played in England  included three centuries, two against Essex and one against Northamptonshire at Northampton .

          Amarnath 's early cricket training was received at Aligarh and Lahore . In those days, his forte was wicket keeping, and it was not until 1930 that he showed any outstanding promise as a batsman. In that year, going in at No. 10 in a match at Sialkot , he scored a stylish 59 to give his side a miraculous victory.

          In 1931, he scored five centuries, and in the 1933-34 season, he was included in the Southern Punjab  side against Jardine 's MCC  team. He seized the opportunity offered and scored a brilliant century, which won him a place in the Test match at Bombay . Amarnath  again rose to the occasion and by scoring a faultless and brilliantly spectacular century in the second innings, earned the distinction of being the first Indian  batsman to score a hundred in a Test match against England .

          For some time after this, Amarnath  faded into the background, but during the 1935-36 season, he struck great form, scoring a century against the Australians at Sikandar  Abad  and 50 at Delhi .

          Amarnath 's performances against Lord Tennyson 's team won him the high tribute of being styled India 's Bradman  by Lord Tennyson. Amarnath should at least have blushed.

          His three successive centuries against the tourists at Calcutta , Patiala , and Sikandar  Abad  deserve special mention. He played 17 innings against the tourists and scored 582 runs at an average of 36.38. He played in all the five "Test" matches against the Tennysonians and scored 244 runs at an average of 27.11. He was second to Vinoo Mankad  on the list of batting averages for the "Test" matches.

          Bowling 153.1 overs during the nine matches he played against the tourists, he captured 14 wickets at a cost of 25.50 runs per wicket. His bowling figures for the five "Test" matches were:

O      M      R          W     Av

69     23    123     6     20.50

Not having performed anything outstanding in the Bombay  Pentangular matches up till the end of 1937-38 season, Amarnath  gained the distinction of playing the highest innings in these matches last season. His score of 241 against The Rest is the highest ever scored in this tournament.

          Besides being a batsman and wicketkeeper, Amarnath  was an effective bowler. With the new ball he swung it beautifully while his sharp leg-breaks, bowled mechanically on the "good-length" spot and off the wrong foot, made him a difficult bowler to play, especially on a worn wicket. In England , he captured 32 wickets at a cost of 20.87 runs apiece and was at the top of the bowling averages.

          During the Championship matches in the 1937-38 season, Amarnath  showed his real form in the game against Northern India  and scored a useful 80 in his usual confident and brilliant style. In the match against the NWFP , he captured six wickets for 25 runs in the second innings.

          Amarnath  was a very safe and reliable fielder near the wicket, as well as in the country.

Monday, August 14, 2000