When cheered on the victory, the British beat him with belt, but did not give up! The story of 11 Parsi Heroes of 1876 who changed the fate of Indian cricket
Today the Board of Control for Cricket in India is the richest cricket board in the world and speaks India in world cricket but there was a time when Indian cricket was far behind in other countries and long before the cricket became a superpower of cricket, a small community laid the foundation of the country’s cricket heritage. Yes, we are talking about the first Indians who were Parsis to play cricket at that time. Let us tell you the story of Parsis that India vs England Cricket is an interesting chapter in history.
Birth of Indian cricket: Parsis worked to advance cricket
In the middle of the 19th century, young Parsi boys in Bombay began playing cricket on the grounds. Often these boys used umbrellas at that time as bat. His growing enthusiasm for cricket gave birth to Cricket Clubs in India and at that time clubs such as Oriental Cricket Club (1848) and Young Zoastrian Club (1850) were formed.
When the Parsi people started increasing passion for cricket, they not only stopped even playing friendly matches, but they started challenging British cricketers from Bombay Gymkhana. When he won a match against the British in 1876, the excited Indian audiences cheered strongly but British soldiers attacked him brutally with a belt.
England first Indian tour: 1886
Now the Parsis were even more determined to prove themselves and that is why Parsis planned to visit England in 1886 by investing their own money. He appointed Surrey’s Robert Henderson as a coach and Dr. Dhunjishw ‘DH’ led him. During this time, Parsi was able to win a match against Normanhahrst in 28 matches played but he also draws 8 matches. At the same time, the Parsi team suffered defeat in 19 matches. On this tour, Shapurji was successful in making headlines. He took a hat-trick against Ashton-under-Lin and this was also a major achievement in that era with underarm bowling.
Second England tour: 1888 – Emergence of ME Pavri
Two years later, in 1888, the Parsis returned with more ambition. This time, his expenses were borne by the newly established Parsi gymkhana. The undisputed star of the tour, Dr. Mehlasha was ‘ME’ Pavri, who was a fast bowler who is often remembered as India’s first great cricketer.
Wickets: 170
Bowling average: 12
Match: 8 won, 11 lost, 12 draws
County cricket record
In 1895, ME Pavri once again registered his name in history by playing for the middlesex against Sussex in Hov and became another Indian (after Ranjit Singhji) to play in the prestigious County Championship.
The legacy and importance of Parsis
The courage, foresight and skill of the Parsis laid the foundation stone for India’s cricket journey. His tour was the first important cricket match of India vs England, even before the two countries played their first official Test match in 1932, the contribution of Parsis was commendable. His efforts not only introduced Indian cricket to the world, but also became a symbol of resistance, pride and progress during the colonial era.
