Lala Amarnath (born Nanik Amarnath Bharadwaj, 11 September 1911 – 5 August 2000) was an Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the foundational figures of Indian cricket. He was the first Indian batsman to score a Test century, achieving the feat on debut against England at the Bombay Gymkhana in December 1933. He later captained India in its first Test series after independence and became the country's first cricketer to lead India to a Test victory.
| Full name | Nanik Amarnath Bharadwaj |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1911, Kapurthala, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 5 August 2000, New Delhi, India |
| Role | All-rounder (right-hand batsman, right-arm medium pace) |
| Test debut | 15 December 1933 vs England, Bombay |
| Last Test | 1952 vs Pakistan |
| Captain of India | 1947–48 to 1952–53 |
| Domestic teams | Southern Punjab, Hindus, Gujarat, Patiala, Railways, Uttar Pradesh |
| Notable sons | Surinder Amarnath, Mohinder Amarnath, Rajinder Amarnath |
Amarnath was born in Kapurthala in undivided Punjab and was orphaned at a young age. He was taken under the patronage of cricket benefactors in Lahore, where he developed his game in the maidans of pre-partition Punjab. He came up through the Aitchison College circuit and gained early prominence in domestic cricket through performances for the Hindus in the Bombay Pentangular and for Southern Punjab in the Ranji Trophy.
India was admitted to Test cricket in 1932, and the second Test it ever played was against Douglas Jardine's England team at the Bombay Gymkhana in December 1933. Amarnath, on debut, scored 118 in the second innings, becoming the first Indian to register a Test century. The innings was greeted with rupturous celebration at the ground and is regarded as a milestone in early Indian cricket history.
Selected for the Indian tour of England in 1936 under the captaincy of the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram (Vizzy), Amarnath was sent back to India before the Tests on disciplinary grounds. The decision was widely criticised in India, and a subsequent inquiry committee largely absolved him. The episode became one of the most discussed controversies in Indian cricket administration of the period.
Amarnath returned to international cricket on the 1946 tour of England under the Nawab of Pataudi senior. On that tour he was the leading bowler, taking a large number of first-class wickets with his medium-paced swing.
He led the first Indian team to tour Australia in 1947–48, where India faced Don Bradman's side. Although India lost the series, Amarnath's leadership against arguably the strongest team of the era was respected. In 1952, as captain at home, he led India to its first-ever Test victory, defeating Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, in the inaugural Test between the two nations. He captained India in 15 Tests.
Amarnath dismissed Don Bradman for a duck in a tour match between an Indian XI and an Australian XI at Brisbane in 1947, having him caught off a no-ball before bowling him shortly after — an incident often recalled in cricket lore.
| Matches | 24 |
|---|---|
| Runs | 878 |
| Batting average | 24.38 |
| Centuries / Fifties | 1 / 4 |
| Wickets | 45 |
| Bowling average | 32.91 |
Amarnath served Indian cricket as a national selector, manager and coach. He was a long-standing voice in cricket administration and broadcasting, contributing radio commentary in Hindi and English for All India Radio and writing on the game. He played a role in the development of the next generation of Indian cricketers, including his sons.
Lala Amarnath founded a notable cricketing family. His sons Surinder Amarnath and Mohinder Amarnath both represented India in Test cricket; Mohinder was the Man of the Match in both the semi-final and the final of the 1983 Cricket World Cup. His third son, Rajinder Amarnath, played first-class cricket.
Lala Amarnath occupies a central place in Indian cricket history for three reasons: scoring the country's first Test century, captaining India to its first Test win, and leading the first post-independence Indian team abroad. His career bridged the colonial and independent eras of Indian cricket, and his combative, professional approach helped shape the identity of the national side in its formative decades.