3 most impactful centuries of the 20th century

#2. Lala Amarnath (118) India vs England 1933 1st Test, Mumbai

Lala Amarnath (right) walking in to bat.

Background of the Match: India had played their first ever Test match under the captaincy of Col. CK Nayudu in 1932 at Lord's vs England. It had been a historic occasion for the Indian Team, as they became the first Asian team ever to be granted full member status by ICC. It had been a major step in the globalization of the game. However, along expected lines, India’s performance at the Lord’s Test against the experienced England side under Douglas Jardine had been below average. The Indian batting line-up collapsed to hand England a victory by 158 runs.

The performance of India started raising doubts in the global cricketing fraternity about India’s ability to thrive in competitive cricket in the future. Amidst all these speculations, England came to India next year, 1933, for the return Test series and the 1st Test of the series was scheduled to be played at Mumbai (then Bombay) gymkhana ground.

Course of the Match: India, batting first, scored 219 in their first innings, with familiar problems troubling the Indian batsmen yet again. All of the top 6 batsmen got to starts but were unable to convert them. The top scorer of the innings was a 22-year-old debutant form Punjab, Lala Amarnath, with a score of 38. England came out all guns blazing in reply and posted a massive total of 438, with Bryan Valentine, leading the way with a gracious 136.

India, came into bat, in the second innings, knowing that, the test was already lost as the lead itself amounted to 218 runs, after the first innings of both the teams. In the 2nd innings, India’s woes, however, continued, as both the openers were dismissed with only 21 runs on the board.

That brought together 2 men on the crease, who redefined Indian cricket and silenced the critics, who doubted India’s ability to play Test cricket at international level. Lala Amarnath, the top scorer from the first innings, compiled the first ever century by an Indian Test cricketer at international level (118), with the captain Col. C.K.Nayudu playing second fiddle to him (67). They came together for a partnership of 186 runs, that helped India avoid the embarrassment of an innings defeat.

However, after this partnership, India suffered a massive collapse and succumbed to 258 all out. England knocked off the meager target of 40 runs with the fall of just 1 wicket.

Historical Importance: The century from Lala Amarnath, reinstated the belief of the cricket world, that Indian batsmen were capable enough to handle experienced England bowlers and score against them. India and the entire of Asia subsequently began believing in themselves after this century, that the Indians can afford to beat England at their own game. Oozing from the confidence of this century, India managed to draw the next Test of the series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Going by where cricket in India has come, as of today, that century from Lala Amarnath at Mumbai, can be termed as the harbinger of a new age in Indian cricket history.