This post talks about the significant impact that cricket has had on culture and society in India. It also describes some of the many achievements of Indian cricket players since their inception into international play in 1932. Cricket may be a popular game in many countries, but it has India’s long, rich history. Cricket originated in England during the middle ages and spread to other parts of Europe and the British Empire during the 18th century. However, in India, cricket was expensive to play professionally. So today, you will learn about the turns and the history of Indian cricket which helped them to evolve and to become the most successful team in cricket.
Start Of Cricket In India
The Britishers introduced cricket in India, and Indians too liked the game and started playing in the 18th century. In India, cricket gained popularity earliest among upper-class British civilians who played it during their visits to their Indian princes and British soldiers stationed in India. However, it was not until 1877 that a cricket club was formed in Bombay (now Mumbai). The other cricket centers in India at this time were Calcutta (now Kolkata), Madras (now Chennai), and Delhi. The Oriental cricket club was the first cricket club in India.
As you know, India was a part of the British Empire, and thus they do not have the status to play cricket on an international level. However, the famous cricketers of that time, such as Ranjitsingh and Duleepsingh, played for the England eleven team. This incident led to the rise of cricket in India, and then many Indian talents started coming up. Seeing this revolutionized cricket and Indians were able to make a separate team representing only Indians, and in the 19th century, the Indian cricket team started touring England to play cricket.
First Test Match
India played their first Test matches against England in 1932 at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, and Leeds Cricket Ground, Manchester, respectively, on 15–19 June and 24–28 June. The hosts won both the matches by an innings and 88 runs. The following year, India managed to draw the series 1–1 after a victory at Lord’s (15 – 19 July) and a defeat at The Oval 27–31 July. The Indian team was led by the great player Indian CK Naidu.
When India became Independent in 1947, it started hosting a game of cricket, and many series of test matches happened between India, England, and Australia. India booked his first-ever test victory in 1952 in Madras against England. They also then won the test series against Pakistan, which started the rise of Indian cricket. Now when India was continuously playing cricket on an international level, during the 1970s, Indian cricket saw the rise of amazing talented cricket Sunil Gavaskar, which helped Indian cricket to popularize in India, and he brought the world’s eyes to over Indian cricket team.
Winning The First-Ever World Cup
Winning the world cup was a historic moment for the Indian Cricket team, and the team overcame many challenges to do it. It took several years for India to play their first–day international match. India played its first-ever ODI in 1974 against the England cricket team. The world cups are played in ODI formats, and India failed to even reach the second round of the first two world cups. During the 1980s, before the 1983 world cup, the Indian cricket team focused more on their batting lineup. The result was that the players such as Mohammad Azharuddin, Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil dev, and Ravi Shastri could attack in batting.
In the 1983 world cup, India won four group matches out of six matches. They reached the finals of the world cup by beating some of the best teams in the world. The 1983 cricket world cup final was played between India and West Indies. India won the world cup by beating West Indies by 43 runs. Cricket became very popular at all levels of society in India during the 1980s. Public schools, colleges, and universities began playing cricket, and a national tournament was organized. The passion for the game increased when India became won the world cup. By the 1990s, cricket had become India’s most popular sport.
During the 1990s, Indian cricketers emerged as bright stars on the world stage. Anil Kumble, who played for India in both Test and One-day International matches, emerged as a top bowler; Sachin Tendulkar, a legend batsman from India, also gained popularity. His records and great knocks earned him the title of god of cricket. In more recent years, Indian cricket has gained many admirers worldwide, with other top cricketers emerging.