Cricket

While discussing cricket commentators of yesteryears, the writer perhaps inadvertently forgot to mention Berry Adhikari (I hope I have not mis-spelled his name) who was one of India's most profound and proficient cricket commentators.

Discussing Lala Amarnath, India's great all-rounder for nearly two decades, it is on record that he became India's Test captain by an accident.

He captained India against the formidable West Indies team in 1948 when Vijay Merchant, the Indian run-machine declined the captaincy due to personal reasons.

Lala besides playing for India in the Jardine-led England's visit to India was also selected to play for India in 1936 under Vizzy's captaincy and later selected again in 1946 (when India was given Test status) under Nawab of Patuadi (Sr.) stewardship. He also toured Australia in 1947 and played against Don Bradman's unbeatable team which then had players like Arthur Morris, Sidney Barnes, Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Ian Johnston etc.

Lala's most memorable innings on that tour was his magnificent 228 against Victoria, a strong state side.

He was in the series in which Vijay Hazare, another batting stalwart, made history by becoming the first Indian to score a century in each innings in the fourth Test played at Adelaide.

The Indian team's tour of Australia in 1947, unfortunately, was married by handicaps when Vijay Merchant, Mushtaq Ali and Rusi Modi, all key batsmen, made themselves unavailable and the young Fazal Mahmood opted out, for just before the start of the tour Pakistan came into being and Fazal stood by his new country.