The First Indian Cricket Team Tour to England, 1886

Cricket in colonial India was organised on the principle of race and religion. The first record of cricket being played in India is from 1721, an account of recreational cricket played by English sailors in Cambay. The first Indian club, the Calcutta cricket club, was established in 1972. Through the eighteen century, cricket in India was almost wholly a sports played by British military men and civil servants in all white club and gymkhanas. Playing cricket in the privacy of these clubs was also an escape from strangeness, discomfort and danger of their stay in India. Indians were considered to have no talent for the game and certainly not meant to play it, but they did. The origins of Indian cricket, that is cricket played by Indians are to be found in Bombay and the first Indian community to start playing the game was the small community of Zoroastrians, the Parsis. Brought into close contact with the British because of their interest in trade and the first Indian community to westernise, the Parsis founded the first Indian cricket club, the Oriental cricket club in Bombay in 1848. Parsi clubs were funded and sponsored by Parsi businessman like the TATAs and the Wadias. The first team for a Parsees side to tour abroad were floated in 1877 by AB Patel but were scuppered when Patel became involved in a legal case in Bombay. Undeterred, he persevered and in 1886 the scheme came to fruition. A far from representative group of players was picked for the trip, the team was formed exclusively from those who could afford to fund their own passage. Patel managed to get the influential Charles Alcock to act as the team's agent in England, thus ensuring some strong fixtures. Alcock was secretary of Surrey and the man credited with organizing the first Test in England, six years earlier. The team departed for home with a record of one win and 19 defeats in their 28 matches. Dr Patel sent an open letter to the London newspapers thanking people for "The many kindnesses and friendly encouragement the players had received. We have never aspired to pass as good cricketers here. All our defects were expected. We have had many difficulties, mainly owning to our ignorance and inexperience of the country, but we are leaving with strong feelings of affection for the country and its people".