About the Author
Ramachandra Guha is a smart Indian writer and thinker. He loves history and nature. He has written many books about India's past and famous people. This chapter comes from his big book on cricket history. He makes old facts fun and easy to read, like telling a tale about your favorite game.
What’s the Story About?
This is not a made-up tale with heroes and dragons. It's a real story about how cricket, our super fun game, started and grew big. Think of it like a trip back in time, from old England fields to busy Indian stadiums. Let me explain it step by step in easy words, so you feel like you're watching it happen.
A long, long time ago—about 500 years back—in a green country called England, kids and grown-ups played simple games with a stick and a ball. They hit the ball with the stick, like whacking a marble. That was the baby version of cricket! The stick was called a "bat" because it meant a wooden club in old English talk. By the 1600s, it turned into a proper game with teams and rules.
Fast forward to the 1700s. Bats looked funny, like curved hockey sticks, because bowlers rolled the ball on the ground, not threw it in the air. Then, smart bowlers started tossing the ball up. This made the game exciting! Batsmen had to learn quick hits and tricks. Bats changed to straight ones, like today's. Balls got heavier—between 5.5 to 5.75 ounces—and had six seams for better spin. In 1774, they made a rule: if the ball hits your leg instead of the bat, you're out! That's the "leg-before" rule. Matches lasted three days, and fields had three stumps instead of one or two.
The first club for cricket fans started in a place called Hambledon in the 1760s. Then, in 1787, a big club called Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) was born in London. They wrote the "Laws of Cricket" in 1744—the first rules for any team game! These said the pitch is 22 yards long, stumps are 22 inches high, and umpires decide everything fair.
Cricket gear stayed old-school. Bats are made from willow wood and cane handles from faraway lands. Balls use leather, string, and cork—no shiny plastic or metal like in other sports. But safety stuff changed: in 1848, rubber pads for legs came, then gloves and helmets from tough new materials. This let players hit harder without getting hurt.
Now, the fun part for us Indians! Cricket came to India with the British, who ruled here. It started in Mumbai (then Bombay) around 1848. A group of people called Parsis—smart traders who knew English ways—loved the game first. They made the Oriental Cricket Club with money from rich friends like the Tatas. White British clubs were mean; they wouldn't let Parsis play on their grounds and even messed up the fields with horse games. So, Parsis built their own club. In 1889, a Parsi team beat the British team—yay! That was a big win, just like India's freedom fight starting around then.
India played its first big "Test" match in 1932, when we were still under British rule. Tests are long games, up to five days, between top teams. They can end in a tie called a "draw." The first Test was England vs. Australia in 1877. India got its own hero: C.K. Nayudu, a super batsman and our first Test captain. He was already old but smashed runs like a boss!
Cricket fields are odd—always 22 yards pitch, but the rest can be oval like an egg or round like a plate. No fixed size! Today, short one-day games are more popular than long Tests. TV and satellites brought cricket to every home, even villages. Kids copy stars like Virat Kohli. India has the biggest fans and money in cricket, so the game's boss office moved from London to Dubai. Players get paid tons now, not like old free players. Cricket's heart beats in South Asia, thanks to us!
Who’s Who in the Story
This is history, not a play, so no main heroes like in fairy tales. But here are key people and groups who shaped cricket, like stars in the game’s movie:
- C.K. Nayudu: India’s first Test captain and a batting wizard. He played in 1932 and is still remembered for his powerful hits.
- The Parsi Community: Brave first Indian players from Mumbai. They started clubs and fought unfair rules to play.
- Palwankar Vithal and Palwankar Baloo: Early Indian stars from a lower group, forgotten now but great bowlers and batsmen who broke barriers.
- Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC): The big boss club in England that made the rules in 1787.
- British Rulers and Pioneers: They brought cricket to India but also made it hard for locals at first.
Themes and Moral
The chapter shares cool ideas about cricket and life:
- How Things Change but Stay the Same: Cricket grew from simple stick games to TV stars, but keeps old rules and natural gear. It teaches us to mix new fun with old ways.
- From Small Starts to Big Dreams: Parsis played in secret corners; now Indians rule the world game. It shows hard work and team spirit win over bullies.
- Fair Play and Rules Matter: First game with written laws—um umpires keep it honest. Like in school, rules make games safe and fun.
The main lesson? Chase your passion with heart, like Nayudu. Don’t give up on unfair days; your turn to shine comes. Cricket unites us, from villages to cities, teaching patience and joy in every ball!
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some special words and fun phrases from the chapter. I explained them super simple, like talking to a buddy. Try them in your cricket chat!
- Codified: Made into clear rules, like writing game instructions so everyone plays fair. (The MCC codified cricket in 1744.)
- Peculiarities: Funny odd things that make it special. (Cricket's peculiarities include five-day games that can tie.)
- Deception: Tricky moves to fool the other side. (Bowlers use deception through the air to surprise batsmen.)
- Leg-before: A rule where you're out if the ball hits your leg first. (The leg-before law started in 1774 to stop hiding behind legs.)
- Pre-industrial: From old times, before machines. (Bats use pre-industrial materials like wood and cork.)
- Vulcanised rubber: Tough rubber made strong by heat. (Vulcanised rubber helped make leg pads in 1848.)
- Viewership: How many people watch on TV. (India's huge viewership made cricket a money game.)
- Phrase: "Center of gravity": The main spot where action happens. (Cricket's center of gravity shifted to India.)
- Phrase: "Shot selection": Picking the right hit for the ball. (Batsmen learn shot selection to score big.)
- Phrase: "Burst into popularity": Suddenly become super loved. (One-day cricket burst into popularity with colors and crowds.)
Use these next time you play—tell your friends about the leg-before!