Testing times for cricket and the Raj
From our UK edition
It’s 4 a.m. on 25 June 1932. The sun hasn’t risen and the Maharaja of Porbandar is standing in his nightshirt in his suite at the Royal Palace Hotel in Kensington addressing a querulous gaggle of his compatriots. He’s the captain of the official Indian cricket team, which, in a few hours’ time, is due to start its first ever Test match in England at Lord’s, the game’s headquarters. But he hasn’t been well, or in any sort of cricketing form, so has recused himself from the on-field captaincy and given the job to his best cricketer, the prolific all-rounder C.K. Nayudu. However, Nayudu is a Hindu commoner and his elevation to the captaincy has upset the delicate team balance between Hindus, Muslims, Parsees and Sikhs.
