Indian Times
History of Cricket
The Beginning
Cricket is thought of by many people to be the unnofficial national sport of India, although it had not originated in India. When the East India Company came to India in the 1600s, the megacorporation began to take a foothold on India. The British had brought with them the sport of Cricket back from their hometown. Wherever the East India Company had acquired territories, the Indians there had picked up on the game. Cities such as Mumbai, Calcutta, and Madras had all become major Cricket centers because of the British influence.
Did You Know?
The first ball in the World Cup history was bowled by India's Madan Lal to England's Denis Amiss at Lord's on June 7, 1975.
History of Cricketer Groups
The first Indians to take to the game of Cricket were the Parsis of Bombay. These Parsis were a highly educated and persistent group that established the "Oriental Cricket Club" in 1848. The middle-class group took up the game of Cricket to strengthen ties with their overlords. The Hindus came next, formed the "Bombay Union", and followed with the only reason to not fall behind the Parsis in any kind of manner. Originated in 1866, the "Bombay Union" was the first of the many Hindu clubs and was responsible for starting the ball rolling for Hindu cricketers all over Bombay. Then came the Bombay Gymkhana group, they were an all-white bunch established in 1875. Cricket in India was highly motivated by the Parsi, Hindu, and Muslim Gymkhanas's sheer impulsion for the game in the 1890s.
Did You Know?
Bombay was so full of completely different cricket groups, in the 1890s, that the British had granted a plot of land for each three major religious group to not cause trouble.
Independence
After Independence, a big push came in the history of Indian Cricket, when India got their first ever Test series win against arch rival Pakistan in 1952.Performances from Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar and leg spinner SM Gupte, some of the greatest Indian players ever, were stupendously astounding. India's freedom seemed to boost their skill level. Meanwhile in the 1960s, the Indian team became a formidable side on home soil. During the same time India completely turned their game around and started playing well overseas too. It was in this decade that India really showed what cricket meant to them, because India held dominant teams like Pakistan, England and Australia to a draw.
Works Cited
- Maps of India. "Indian Cricket: The Beginning." mapsofindia.com. 26 April 2013 Retrieved, from http://www.mapsofindia.com/cricket/indian-cricket-history.html
- Zee News. "History of Indian Cricket." zeenews.com. 28 April 2013 Retrieved, from http://zeenews.india.com/cricket/History-of-Indian-cricket.aspx?nid=76
- India Netzone. "History of Indian Cricket." indianetzone.com Last updated - 2 February 2012 Retrieved, from http://www.indianetzone.com/28/history_indian_cricket.htm