Empire Podcast - Episode 311

Cricket In India: Beating The Brits At Their Own Game (Part 2)

Date: November 27, 2025
Hosts: William Dalrymple & Anita Anand
Guest: Tim Wigmore (author of "Test: A History of Test Cricket")

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the entwined histories of empire, nationalism, and cricket in India—exploring how a colonial import became a site for assertion, resistance, and ultimately, Indian pride. With wit and storytelling, the hosts and expert guest trace cricket’s emergence from colonial curiosity to subcontinental obsession, spotlighting the communal divides (and transcending moments) that shaped the sport in pre-partition India and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bollywood and Cricket: Lagan as Cultural Lens

• [02:44-06:21]
  • Bollywood blockbuster Lagan dramatizes India's cricket contest against colonial British rulers, symbolizing anti-imperialist resistance.
  • William Dalrymple: “Lagan, for those of you who may not have seen it, it’s set in 1893… and Bouven [Aamir Khan] challenges the British to a cricket match which they don’t know how to play, by the way.” [04:45]
  • Viewers share personal experiences of the film as a fever-pitch communal event, highlighting cricket’s foundational place in Indian identity.
  • Tim Wigmore: "It was very, very long in the best Friday traditions, but completely worth the length." [06:05]

2. Origins: Cricket’s Arrival and Early Elitism

• [06:21-08:38]
  • Cricket in 1700s India started among British merchant sailors in Gujarat.
  • The first organized club for locals, the Parsi-run Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay (1848), set the stage for native participation.
  • Early matches: Europeans vs. Parsis, with Parsis gradually proving their mettle.
  • Tim Wigmore: “The first game that we know about was played by British merchant sailors along the beachfront in Cambay.” [06:35]
  • William Dalrymple: “It looks like this was a game for Europeans… nothing involving the locals at all…” [07:29]

3. Communities on the Field: Parsis and the Birth of Indian Cricket

• [08:38-12:03]
  • Parsis, the most Anglicized Indian community, embraced the sport and challenged British teams, leading to the communal format of tournaments (Europeans, Parsis, Hindus, Muslims, and "the Rest").
  • William Dalrymple: Reads Parsi leader Sir Feroz Shah Mehta’s reverent toast: “As artists go to Italy to do homage to great masters… so now the Parsis are going to England to do homage to the English cricketers…” [10:19]
  • Anita Anand: “But how interesting that the rest of Indian cricket is on communal lines. Is there anywhere else in the world where games are played only between religious communities?” [10:52]

4. Cricket, Caste & Social Mobility: The Story of Palwankar Baloo

• [12:03-16:55]
  • Baloo, a Dalit (formerly “Untouchable”) bowler, ascended through talent, aided by mentor JG Greig.
  • Despite on-field excellence, Baloo faced entrenched discrimination (eating/drinking separately; denied captaincy due to caste).
  • William Dalrymple: “Even on the pitch, being Dalit is still very relevant… Instead, India pick their captain is a prince who travels with five servants.” [15:52]
  • Baloo later became a political figure and ally of Dr. Ambedkar.

5. Ranji Singh: The Indian Royal Revolutionizing England’s Cricket

• [18:12-21:09]
  • Ranji, adopted heir to an Indian principality, educated at Trinity, Cambridge, introduced “leg glance” batting and redefined the game’s aesthetics.
  • Racism and politics restricted his English Test career—he was notably excluded from South Africa tours for being non-white.
  • Tim Wigmore: “He’s a revolutionary—he kind of invents… all these. Popularizes the leg glance.” [19:23]
  • William Dalrymple: “Is there politics involved… you can’t have a Brown fella playing at Lords?” [20:39]
  • Tim Wigmore: “No, that’s absolutely right.” [20:53]

6. Colonial Authority and Barriers: Lord Harris

• [21:09-22:08]
  • Lord Harris, influential as both colonial governor (Bombay) and English cricket figure, openly doubted Indians’ cricketing potential.
  • William Dalrymple: “He oppose what he calls are ‘birds of a different feather’ to play for England.” [21:29]

7. Communal and Nationalist Politics Transforming Cricket

• [23:02-26:33]
  • Civil disobedience, nationalist ferment, and partition change selection and participation.
  • Early Indian teams (post-1928 Test status) see players withdraw in protest at Gandhi’s imprisonment; captaincy often awarded to princely “Nepo babies” with minimal cricketing skill but maximum social standing.
  • William Dalrymple: “Describe why it’s the era of the Nepo babies.” [24:34]
  • Tim Wigmore: “So he plays four matches on this tour and he scores only two runs in these four matches. But he buys three Rolls Royces…” [25:40]
  • Captains selected for wealth and noble birth, not prowess, undermining team performance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Context | |-----------|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:45 | William Dalrymple | “Bouven [Aamir Khan] challenges the British to a cricket match which they don’t know how to play, by the way.” | | 07:29 | William Dalrymple | “It looks like this was a game for Europeans… nothing involving the locals at all…” | | 10:19 | William Dalrymple | "As artists go to Italy... as pilgrims go to Jerusalem... so now the Parsis are going to England to do homage..." | | 15:52 | William Dalrymple | "[Baloo]… should have been the captain. But... instead, India pick as captain a prince who travels with five servants."| | 19:23 | Tim Wigmore | “[Ranji]...kind of invents… the leg glance... He opens up these new corners, the way he plays.” | | 20:39 | William Dalrymple | “Is there politics involved… you can’t have a Brown fella playing at Lords?” | | 21:29 | William Dalrymple | “He oppose what he calls are ‘birds of a different feather’ to play for England.” | | 25:40 | Tim Wigmore | “He plays four matches… and he scores only two runs… But he buys three Rolls Royces on this tour.” |

Partition: Cricket’s Lines Redrawn

8. Partition and Personal Stories

• [30:16-34:35]
  • 1947 partition’s chaos interrupts career trajectories and team composition.
  • The story of Fazl Mahmood, a Muslim cricketer whose border-crossing odyssey during partition almost costs him his life—saved by his Hindu teammate Katari Naiadu, who fended off attackers with a cricket bat.
  • William Dalrymple: “And who steps in to save him, Tim? Because it’s gorgeous.” [32:50]
  • Anita Anand: “There's another moment when a station master gives him a Sikh symbol, the Kadda, to try and show that he's a Sikh…” [33:45]

9. Legacy of Partition: Bowling, Diet, and Difference

• [34:35-37:13]
  • Partition’s split leaves India without its traditional fast bowlers (many of whom were Muslim from the north and moved to Pakistan).
  • Myths take root: “Meat eaters versus vegetarians” as determinants of cricketing prowess.
  • William Dalrymple: “I heard they went even further… you can’t expect a fast bowler to come from India because they’re all vegetarian…” [35:19]
  • Tim Wigmore: “It becomes self-actuating… India stops trying to produce fast bowlers…” [35:31]

10. Modern Era and Social Change

• [37:15-41:10]
  • Post-Nepo era: Moves toward meritocracy; standouts like Tiger Pataudi (a genuine talent, despite royal roots).
  • Test cricket reflects broader India-Pakistan tensions—most encounters marked by fear of defeat, especially after 1947, resulting in high rates of drawn matches (64%).
  • William Dalrymple: “That’s really interesting that neither side wants to take on the hatred of their own nation when they go back, if they lose to the other country.” [41:02]
  • Introduction of neutral umpires in 1992 to counter cross-border suspicions of bias.

11. Pop Culture and Political Resonance

• [41:02-42:26]
  • Anecdotes: Imran Khan’s legendary 1982 win over India and its role in cementing his national hero status.
  • Cricket as a space for cross-border, communal, and even cinematic heroics.

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Bollywood's Lagan & Cricket’s Place in Pop Culture: [02:44-06:21]
• Cricket’s Colonial Beginnings in India: [06:21-08:38]
• Rise of the Parsis & Communal Cricket: [08:38-12:03]
• Palwankar Baloo and Caste: [12:03-16:55]
• Ranji Singh: Indian Royal in English Cricket: [18:12-21:09]
• Partition & The Fazl Mahmood Story: [30:16-34:35]
• Partition’s Impact on Cricketing Styles: [34:35-37:13]
• India-Pakistan Modern Rivalry: [39:58-41:10]

Summary & Takeaways

• Cricket in India began as a colonial sport but rapidly became a mirror to social change, community competition, and expressions of nationalism.
• Communal divisions, princely privilege, and the legacy of Partition shaped—then fractured—the subcontintent’s cricketing traditions.
• Throughout, cricket stories repeatedly transcended boundaries: caste, creed, national borders, and even life-and-death situations (as with Fazl Mahmood’s rescue).
• Today, the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry remains as politically charged as ever, shaped by history but continuing to evolve.

For more rich context, buy Tim Wigmore’s “Test: A History of Test Cricket”, or revisit this episode for a masterclass in how empires—and their games—are reimagined by the people they once set out to conquer.