Decades before Test cricket, a band of princes, clerks, and spinners carried India’s colors across England, stitching together the country’s first cricketing identity
In the summer of 1911, India took its first tentative steps into international cricket. Long before official Test status came in 1932, an “All-India” team crossed the seas to England to play a full tour of matches. The idea was ambitious—one team representing a diverse land on a foreign stage. The tour was organized by the 19-year-old Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, who also captained the side. His wealth and influence made the trip possible, but the bigger statement lay in the act itself: India was beginning to imagine cricket as a national identity.
The 1911 squad was the first to represent India as a whole. It was not merely a cricketing exercise but also a social experiment. The team brought together players from different communities—Parsees, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and even two Dalit brothers, Palwankar Baloo and Palwankar Shivram. Their inclusion was groundbreaking in a society steeped in caste divisions. Originally, the selectors had hoped to include the celebrated Ranjitsinhji, but he declined the invitation. Instead, the team left Bombay on May 6, 1911, with civic farewells and expectations of making a mark in the home of cricket.
Although named captain, the Maharaja of Patiala played only a handful of games. After appearances against Oxford, Cambridge, and the MCC, he withdrew from active participation. A throat operation and royal engagements kept him away, leaving a leadership vacuum. To make matters worse, his trusted aide and dependable batsman, Kekhashru Mistry, also left with him. The burden of on-field command then fell on Hormasji Kanga, a respected Parsee cricketer, who did his best to steer a young and inexperienced side in challenging English conditions.
(Credit: BBC)
India’s first cricket adventure was not a triumphant one. Across 23 games, including 14 first-class matches, the record stood at two wins, two draws, and ten defeats in first-class fixtures. Overall, they managed six victories. The statistics looked modest, but there were flashes of brilliance. Against Leicestershire, the team recorded a convincing seven-wicket win. At Taunton, they edged Somerset in a thrilling one-wicket finish. These rare victories demonstrated that, although the side lacked consistency, it possessed the raw ability to challenge established county teams.
If there was one hero from the 1911 tour, it was Palwankar Baloo. The left-arm spinner mesmerized English batsmen on damp and turning wickets. His tally of 114 wickets across the tour, including 75 in first-class matches, made him the standout performer. His best haul came against Cambridge University, where he took eight wickets for 103 runs. Baloo’s achievements went beyond numbers. At a time when caste prejudices often barred Dalits from leadership roles, his performances earned him recognition and admiration as India’s first great bowling icon.
The 1911 tour was not only about runs and wickets. It carried political and cultural meaning. India was still under colonial rule, yet here was a team that symbolized unity on a cricket field. Players from diverse religions and social backgrounds stood together in one dressing room, representing India before it became a nation-state in sports. The timing was symbolic too, coinciding with the coronation of George V. The sight of an Indian team on English soil, playing the empire’s own game, carried weight well beyond the scoreboard.
Contemporary critics were not kind. Wisden described the tour as a disappointment. But hindsight offers a different view. For a team with no prior international experience, simply competing against seasoned English sides was an education. The defeats revealed weaknesses in batting depth, fielding standards, and leadership, but they also planted seeds of belief. The wins against Leicestershire and Somerset were proof that India could rise to the challenge. Two decades later, when India played its first official Test at Lord’s in 1932, the foundation of that journey was laid back in 1911.
