Kohinoor For The Cricket Crown

A World Test Championship triumph could be the great national hug we badly need

- Avijit Ghosh

On June 25, 1932, Lord’s was stunned to see 3/19 on the scoreboard. Douglas Jardine’s men were batting and the losses included Percy Holmes, Herbert Sutcliffe and Frank Woolley; the last two still rated among the game’s all-time greats. It had taken India just 20 minutes to shake up England and the world of Test cricket.

In his book, A History of Indian Cricket, Mihir Bose quotes Neville Cardus, the most vividly imaginative of cricket writers, as saying, “In my mind’s eye I saw the news flashing over the air to far-flung places in India … to dusky men in the hills, to the bazaars of the East, to Gandhi himself and to Gunga Din.” The Test didn’t proceed on the same improbable lines. India lost eventually by 158 runs. But captain CK Nayudu and his debutant bunch had made a statement. Undeniably, their performance enhanced the self-esteem of a colonised people still 15 years away from attaining political freedom.

Now nearly 90 years later, another great game is at play. England, which birthed cricket, has been relegated to being a mere host as two erstwhile British colonies, India and New Zealand, battle in the first ever World Test Championship final beginning June 18. Of course, there are ODI and T20 World Cups too. But this will be the real Kohinoor of the three world championships.