Today is the 37th anniversary of India winning the ODI World Cup.
Not only that.
We have another reason to celebrate this day in cricketing history.
25th June 1932 marks the day India made its first foray into the world of test cricket. 👇🏾
The events of June 25th 1932 would not have taken place if not for C. K. Nayudu.
He is largely responsible for us Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand as the sixth test playing nation in the world.
The British brought cricket to India. Despite being trashed by the villagers in Champaner in the 1890s, they kept playing.
The Parsis were early adopters and tried to use the game to establish closer relations with the British.
The Parsis' request for a game against the colonial masters was accepted in 1877 and a two day game was organized.
The Parsi team surprised the British by taking the first innings lead. However, the game ended in a draw.
The Parsis were entrepreneurial and pooled in resources to go on cricket trips to England in 1886 and 1888.
While largely unsuccessful, they did initiate reciprocal tours from English teams to India.
One such tour was organized in 1926.
The MCC team was led by Arthur Gilligan who had made his test debut in 1922 and was made the English team captain in 1924. The team had test cricketers like Maurice Tate, Andrew Sandham and a future England captain Bob Wyatt.
Gilligan's MCC squad played in Bombay in 1926.
There was a lot of excitement for the game with nearly 25,000 at the Bombay Gymkhana (which would later be India’s first ever test ground).
In reply to MCC’s first innings score of 363, The Hindus were reduced to 84 for 3.
C.K. Nayudu, by now a crowd favourite wherever he went in India, strode to the crease.The MCC team so used to steam rolling opponents was in for a shock.
Nayudu produced a dazzling display of batting, not respecting the prowess of luminaries like Maurice Tate, Jack Mercer, Bob Wyatt and Stuart Boyes.
He scored a scintillating 153 which contained 11 sixes, a world record at the time for most number of sixes in an innings.
This innings transformed Indian cricket.
Previously known only as cannon fodder to English players to improve their averages, Indian cricket took a giant leap that day. All thanks to CK Nayudu.
The Indians scored 356 and drew the game.
Arthur Gilligan was so impressed by C.K. Nayudu that he became a strong proponent of Indian cricket and lobbied for test status for India.
Gilligan encouraged Indians to take more initiative in running their own cricketing affairs.
This resulted in a governing body that was formed in 1928 that we now know as the Board of Cricket Control in India @BCCI
India toured England in 1932 to play our first test. Nayudu played a major part in selecting the team. At that time, Indian cricket needed the patronage of the royals who bore the expenss. Maharaja of Porbandar was made the captain and Ghanshyamsinhji of Limbdi was vice-captain.
The Maharaja of Porbandar withdrew on account of poor health and Limbdi suffered a back injury.
The invisible hand of destiny ensured that CK Nayudu, chiefly responsible for India’s test status, became our first captain.
Here is Nayudu leading the team onto the ground.
India started their debut well and had England down 19/3. The more experienced English team weathered the storm and put on 259.
Nayudu had injured his his hand while fielding and still persevered to top score with 40. India managed 189 before losing to the English by 158 runs.
C.K. Nayudu was the first superstar of Indian cricket. The man who the crowds adored, the man who uplifted Indian cricket and the man who every future Indian cricketer aspires to be.
BCCI has constituted its lifetime achievement award in his name.
Those in Indore, please go touch the feet of CK Nayudu's statue there for good karma.
The rest of you, kindly retweet this lovely thread researched and written by @paap_singer
#JaiBhim
Babasaheb Ambedkar is one of the greatest thinkers ever!
The architect of the Indian Constitution was undeniably a GENIUS!
A thread 🧵celebrating this icon who said "Cultivation of the mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence"
As a member in the viceroy’s council from 1942 to 1946, Dr Ambedkar was instrumental in bringing about several labour reforms.
He changed working hours from 12 to 8 in 1942.
He also introduced DA, medical leaves & periodic revision of pay.
📸@roundtableind
Babasaheb studied for two PhDs in his career in addition to his qualification as a lawyer 🤯
His PhD dissertation in Economics at @LSEnews was titled ‘The Indian Rupee’. A few years ago, @stefeich unearthed a first edition of this work with Ambedkar’s original dedication!
Anil Kumble is one of India's greatest match winners. Today we talk about a a little known story of how a very much vegetarian Kumble ate 2 bears 🐻🐻
Setting the stage - 1995, hot and dry summer in the county championships in England. Kumble is playing for Northamptonshire. A Thread🧵
They were second in the table going to take on the first placed team Warwickshire. Warwickshire, though without Brian Lara, were defending champions and were leading the table at that time.
Few years later, Kumble would dismiss Lara looking like this.
Allan Lamb won the toss for Northamptonshire and decided to bat first. They were skittled out for 152 with only David Capel managing to get to a half century.
David Capel then proceeded to take a 7fer to restrict Warwickshire to 224. Remarkably 140 of them came from Roger Twose.
Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) was incorporated in 1953 by the Government of India as a machine tool manufacturing company.
A watch division came up in Bengaluru in 1961. A guest thread 🧵about HMT by @nandyellidli
If you suffer from #CollectibleLust, the first HMT hand-wound mechanical watch is likely the most coveted treasure among mechanical watch collectors.
Believe me, India boasts a thriving community of enthusiasts!
It is said that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, now blamed for all the problems that ail our country, dedicated the first batch of hand-wound watches to the people of India - & this the “Janata” line of watches was born!
Maybe true, maybe false…but makes for one heck of a story!
Krishna Kumar was a huge fan of Sunil Gavaskar. When his son was born in 1985, this Dinesh Suitings ad was doing the rounds.
He decided to name his son Dinesh as a way to honour Sunil Gavaskar. Dinesh Karthik represented India over 170 times.
A thread about cricketers named after other cricketers. 👇
Sunil Gavaskar is adored all over Trinidad. When Shadeed had his first daughter, he wanted to name her Sunili. But his wife Christina put her foot down against it - they eventually named her Arima.
But when they had a son - there was no option. He was named Sunil. Sunil Narine has won 2 IPL's for KKR and a T20 world cup for West Indies.
Another West Indian from Windward Islands, Sunil Ambris was also named after Sunil Gavaskar.
Ambris has so far played 20+ times for the West Indies and was part of the 2019 world cup.
Here is the story of how the 1982 Asian Games started a temple ritual that continues to this day.
A thread 🧵
Here's some context: Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, hosts the vibrant Thrissur Pooram festival annually at the Vadakkunathan Temple.
It takes place when the moon aligns with the Pooram star in the Malayalam month of Medam, typically around May.
The Pooram event in Thrissur (kerala) features a stunning spectacle of over 50 decorated elephants adorned with nettipattam (golden headdress), intricately crafted Kolam, ornate bells, and other ornaments.