Polly Umrigar - Revision history

Saumyasingh: minor: corrected hyphen to en-dash

2023-05-24T13:06:38Z

minor: corrected hyphen to en-dash

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:36, 24 May 2023
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	{{short description\|Indian cricketer}}		{{short description\|Indian cricketer}}
	~~{{more citations needed\|date=May 2017}}~~
	{{Use Indian English\|date=July 2013}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=July 2013}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}
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	\| fullname = Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar		\| fullname = Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1926\|3\|28\|df=yes}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1926\|3\|28\|df=yes}}
	\| birth_place = [[~~Solapur~~]], [[~~Bombay Presidency~~]], [[~~British India~~]]		\| birth_place = [[Mumbai\|Bombay]] or [[Solapur]], [[Maharashtra]] (see <ref name="pob" />)
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|11\|7\|1926\|3\|28\|df=yes}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|11\|7\|1926\|3\|28\|df=yes}}
	\| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India		\| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
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	}}		}}

	'''Pahlan Ratanji''' "'''Polly'''" '''Umrigar''' {{audio\|Polly Umrigar.ogg\|pronunciation}} (28 March 1926 – 7 November 2006) was an Indian [[cricket]]er. He played [[first-class cricket]] for ~~Bombay and Gujarat, and~~ [[~~Test~~ cricket]] ~~in the~~ [[~~Indian~~ cricket team]], mainly as a middle-order batsman but also ~~bowling~~ occasional medium pace and [[off spin]]. He ~~[[Indian national cricket captains\|captain]]ed the Indian team~~ in eight Test matches from 1955 to 1958. When he retired in 1962, he had played in ~~more~~ Tests (59), scored ~~more~~ Test runs (3,631), and recorded ~~more~~ Test centuries (12)~~, than~~ any ~~other~~ Indian player. He scored the first double century by an Indian in Test cricket against New Zealand in Hyderabad.		'''Pahlan Ratanji''' "'''Polly'''" '''Umrigar''' {{audio\|Polly Umrigar.ogg\|pronunciation}} (28 March 1926 – 7 November 2006) was an Indian [[cricket]]er. He played in the [[Indian cricket team]] (1948 – 1962) and played [[first-class cricket]] for [[Mumbai cricket team\|Bombay]] and [[Gujarat cricket team\|Gujarat]]. Umrigar played mainly as a middle-order batsman but also bowled occasional medium pace and [[off spin]]. He captained India in eight Test matches from 1955 to 1958. When he retired in 1962, he had played in the most Tests (59), scored the most Test runs (3,631), and recorded the most Test centuries (12) of any Indian player. He scored the first double century by an Indian in Test cricket against [[New Zealand national cricket team\|New Zealand]] in [[Hyderabad]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news \|date=2021-05-09 \|title=In pictures {{!}} Parsi cricketers who have played for India \|language=en-IN \|work=The Hindu \|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/in-pictures-parsi-cricketers-who-have-played-for-india/article34519324.ece \|access-date=2023-04-25 \|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> In 1998, he received the [[C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award]], the highest honour the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India\|Indian cricket board]] can bestow on a former player.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web \|last=Mukherjee \|first=Abhishek \|date=7 June 2018 \|title=Full list of CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Awards \|url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/facts-and-figures/sunil-gavaskar-kapil-dev-and-other-ck-nayudu-lifetime-achievement-awards-winners-718766 \|access-date=25 April 2023 \|website=[[Cricket Country]] \|language=en}}</ref>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Polly Umrigar was probably born in [[Mumbai\|Bombay]] but his place of birth is often cited as [[Solapur]], [[Maharashtra]] ~~(see~~<ref name="pob">A majority of the references cite S(h)olapur as Umrigar's place of birth. But in the interview ''A chat with midwicket explorer'' in Sportstar, 14 October 1989, p.49, Umrigar said : "Let me correct the notion that I was born in Sholapur and not in Bombay. The fact is I was born in Bombay, but learnt my cricket in Sholapur till pre-metric days". Another dissenter is Richard Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, p.76 : "For years Polly Umrigar was listed as 'born in Sholapur' whereas it is now known that he was born in Bombay."</ref>). His father ran a clothing company. He grew up in Solapur and his family moved to Bombay when he was at school.		Polly Umrigar was probably born in [[Mumbai\|Bombay]] but his place of birth is often cited as [[Solapur]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref name="pob">A majority of the references cite S(h)olapur as Umrigar's place of birth. But in the interview ''A chat with midwicket explorer'' in Sportstar, 14 October 1989, p.49, Umrigar said : "Let me correct the notion that I was born in Sholapur and not in Bombay. The fact is I was born in Bombay, but learnt my cricket in Sholapur till pre-metric days". Another dissenter is Richard Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, p.76 : "For years Polly Umrigar was listed as 'born in Sholapur' whereas it is now known that he was born in Bombay". Umrigar's family and study details are from the Sportstar interview.</ref> His father ran a clothing company. He grew up in Solapur and his family moved to Bombay when he was at school.<ref name=pob/>

	He was a [[Parsi people\|Parsi]] (from the Zoroastrian community in India), the community that dominated [[Mumbai cricket team\|Bombay cricket]] in the early decades of the twentieth century.<ref>Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, p.81. Of the early Test cricketers from Bombay, [[Dattaram Hindlekar]] and [[Janardan Navle]] were the only Marathi speakers. Others – [[Sorabji Colah]], [[Jenni Irani]], [[Rustomji Jamshedji]], [[Khershed Meherhomji]], [[Rusi Modi]], [[Phiroze Palia]], [[Vijay Merchant]], [[L. P. Jai]] and [[Buck Divecha\|Ramesh Divecha]] – were all Gujarati Parsees or Gujarati Hindus.</ref> He made his first class debut for Parsis at the age of 18 in the [[Bombay Pentangular]] in 1944, and studied for a BSc at [[St Xavier's College]]. He captained the Bombay University team. He also played hockey and football competitively.		He was a [[Parsi people\|Parsi]] (from the Zoroastrian community in India), the community that dominated [[Mumbai cricket team\|Bombay cricket]] in the early decades of the twentieth century.<ref>Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, p.81. Of the early Test cricketers from Bombay, [[Dattaram Hindlekar]] and [[Janardan Navle]] were the only Marathi speakers. Others – [[Sorabji Colah]], [[Jenni Irani]], [[Rustomji Jamshedji]], [[Khershed Meherhomji]], [[Rusi Modi]], [[Phiroze Palia]], [[Vijay Merchant]], [[L. P. Jai]] and [[Buck Divecha\|Ramesh Divecha]] – were all Gujarati Parsees or Gujarati Hindus.</ref><ref name=":0" /> He made his first class debut for Parsis at the age of 18 in the [[Bombay Pentangular]] in 1944, and studied for a BSc at [[St Xavier's College]]. He captained the Bombay University team. He also played [[Field hockey\|hockey]] and [[Association football\|football]] competitively.<ref name=pob/>

	==~~As a cricketer~~==		== Career ==

	===Early Test career===		===Early Test career===
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	He returned to form against Pakistan at home in 1952–53, and scored 560 runs in West Indies in early 1953 with two hundreds and four fifties.<ref>		He returned to form against Pakistan at home in 1952–53, and scored 560 runs in West Indies in early 1953 with two hundreds and four fifties.<ref>
	Umrigar's 560 runs in the 1952–53 series equalled [[Rusi Modi]]'s identical tally against West Indies at home in 1948–49. This stood as an Indian record till [[Vijay Manjrekar]] scored 586 runs against England in 1961–62, and the highest abroad till [[Dilip Sardesai]] and [[Sunil Gavaskar]] made 642 and 774 runs in West Indies in 1970–71.</ref> He reached his hundred at [[Queen's Park Oval\|Port of Spain]] with a six off [[Sonny Ramadhin]].<ref>Umrigar was the first Indian batsman to reach a century with a six, a feat that has since been emulated by [[Kapil Dev]], [[Sachin Tendulkar]], [[Mohammad Azharuddin]], [[Rahul Dravid]] and [[Virender Sehwag]].</ref> His innings of 223 against [[New Zealand cricket team\|New Zealand]] at [[Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium\|Hyderabad]] in 1955–56 was the first double century scored for India.<ref>{{Cite web\|date=28 March 2017\|title=The first Indian to hit a double century: 'Polly' Umrigar was born on this day almost a century ago\|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/polly-umrigar-first-indian-double-century-968094-2017-03-28\|access-date=2020-09-24\|website=India Today\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|title=Full Scorecard of India vs New Zealand 1st Test 1955\|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/17421/scorecard/62802/india-vs-new-zealand-1st-test-new-zealand-tour-of-india-1955-56\|access-date=2020-09-24\|website=espncricinfo.com\|language=en}}</ref>		Umrigar's 560 runs in the 1952–53 series equalled [[Rusi Modi]]'s identical tally against West Indies at home in 1948–49. This stood as an Indian record till [[Vijay Manjrekar]] scored 586 runs against England in 1961–62, and the highest abroad till [[Dilip Sardesai]] and [[Sunil Gavaskar]] made 642 and 774 runs in West Indies in 1970–71.</ref> He reached his hundred at [[Queen's Park Oval\|Port of Spain]] with a six off [[Sonny Ramadhin]].<ref>Umrigar was the first Indian batsman to reach a century with a six, a feat that has since been emulated by [[Kapil Dev]], [[Sachin Tendulkar]], [[Mohammad Azharuddin]], [[Rahul Dravid]] and [[Virender Sehwag]].</ref> His innings of 223 against [[New Zealand cricket team\|New Zealand]] at [[Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad\|Hyderabad]] in 1955–56 was the first double century scored for India.<ref>{{Cite web\|date=28 March 2017\|title=The first Indian to hit a double century: 'Polly' Umrigar was born on this day almost a century ago\|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/polly-umrigar-first-indian-double-century-968094-2017-03-28\|access-date=2020-09-24\|website=India Today\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|title=Full Scorecard of India vs New Zealand 1st Test 1955\|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/17421/scorecard/62802/india-vs-new-zealand-1st-test-new-zealand-tour-of-india-1955-56\|access-date=2020-09-24\|website=espncricinfo.com\|language=en}}</ref>

	===Test captain===		===Test captain===
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	Umrigar was a powerfully built man who stood just under six feet.<ref>Cashman, p.84, quotes ''[[The Sunday Times (India)\|The Sunday Times]]'', 30 April 1978, which in turn quotes Umrigar as stating that he was 5' 11½" but six feet in cricket boots</ref> An attacking player especially strong in front of the wicket, he was capable of destroying anything short of extreme pace.<ref>The opinion of [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]], ''Who's who of Test Cricketers'' (1986), p.481.</ref> In this attitude towards the bowling, he was different from most of his contemporaries. "He was a link between two generations", wrote [[K. N. Prabhu]]. "Theoretically he belonged to that assembly of cricketers of the thirties, but in practice his cricket was conditioned by the hard, professional approach of the immediate post-independence years".<ref>[[K. N. Prabhu]], in ''Mid-day''.</ref> From the early 1940s, Indian cricket had been dominated by the [[Vijay Merchant\|Merchant]]-[[Vijay Hazare\|Hazare]] school of batsmanship which put stress on preserving one's wicket. Umrigar's batting combined the tall scores of this era with the adventurous spirit of the thirties.		Umrigar was a powerfully built man who stood just under six feet.<ref>Cashman, p.84, quotes ''[[The Sunday Times (India)\|The Sunday Times]]'', 30 April 1978, which in turn quotes Umrigar as stating that he was 5' 11½" but six feet in cricket boots</ref> An attacking player especially strong in front of the wicket, he was capable of destroying anything short of extreme pace.<ref>The opinion of [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]], ''Who's who of Test Cricketers'' (1986), p.481.</ref> In this attitude towards the bowling, he was different from most of his contemporaries. "He was a link between two generations", wrote [[K. N. Prabhu]]. "Theoretically he belonged to that assembly of cricketers of the thirties, but in practice his cricket was conditioned by the hard, professional approach of the immediate post-independence years".<ref>[[K. N. Prabhu]], in ''Mid-day''.</ref> From the early 1940s, Indian cricket had been dominated by the [[Vijay Merchant\|Merchant]]-[[Vijay Hazare\|Hazare]] school of batsmanship which put stress on preserving one's wicket. Umrigar's batting combined the tall scores of this era with the adventurous spirit of the thirties.

	Umrigar's bowling improved over the course of his career. He bowled off-cutters, hardly flighted the ball and moved it in off the seam.<ref>Sujit Mukherjee, Playing for India, p.156</ref> Occasionally he used to bowl medium pace and open the bowling, as at Bahawalpur in 1954–55 when he took his career-best 6 for 74 against Pakistan. Umrigar rarely bowled for long spells at medium pace. At [[Bahawal Stadium\|Bahawalpur]] he only bowled about six overs "at the maximum pace that he was capable of, which would be about Ramchand's" (the wickets were taken in later spells), according to [[Sujit Mukherjee]]. (See the article on [[Gulabrai Ramchand\|G. S. Ramchand]] for Mukherjee's opinion about Ramchand's bowling.)		Umrigar's bowling improved over the course of his career. He bowled off-cutters, hardly flighted the ball and moved it in off the seam.<ref>Sujit Mukherjee, Playing for India, p.156</ref> Occasionally he used to bowl medium pace and open the bowling, as at Bahawalpur in 1954–55 when he took his career-best 6 for 74 against Pakistan. Umrigar rarely bowled for long spells at medium pace. At [[Bahawal Stadium\|Bahawalpur]] he only bowled about six overs "at the maximum pace that he was capable of, which would be about Ramchand's" (the wickets were taken in later spells), according to [[Sujit Mukherjee]]. (See the article on [[Gulabrai Ramchand#Playing_style\|G. S. Ramchand]] for Mukherjee's opinion about Ramchand's bowling.)

	Umrigar's aggregate of 3,631 Test runs and 12 Test centuries were India's best until bettered by [[Sunil Gavaskar]] in the late seventies. He led the victorious Bombay sides in [[Ranji Trophy]] in 1959–60, 1960–61 and 1962–63. In 59 Ranji matches, for Bombay and [[Gujarat cricket team\|Gujarat]], he scored 4102 runs with fifteen hundreds at an average of 70.72 and 140 wickets.<ref>140 wickets as per [[Indian Cricket (annual)\|Indian Cricket 2004]] p.461 and 138 according to [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]], Who's Who of Test Cricketers (1986) p.482, but a manual count of his wickets shows the Indian Cricket's tally to be correct. 134 of the wickets were for Bombay, 6 for Gujarat.</ref> His highest Ranji score of 245 was made against [[Saurashtra cricket team\|Saurashtra]] in 1957–58. He twice scored 1,000 runs in an Indian domestic season. He also spent a few years for Church in the [[Lancashire League (cricket)\|Lancashire League]].		Umrigar's aggregate of 3,631 Test runs and 12 Test centuries were India's best until bettered by [[Sunil Gavaskar]] in the late seventies. He led the victorious Bombay sides in [[Ranji Trophy]] in 1959–60, 1960–61 and 1962–63. In 59 Ranji matches, for Bombay and [[Gujarat cricket team\|Gujarat]], he scored 4102 runs with fifteen hundreds at an average of 70.72 and 140 wickets.<ref>140 wickets as per [[Indian Cricket (annual)\|Indian Cricket 2004]] p.461 and 138 according to [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]], Who's Who of Test Cricketers (1986) p.482, but a manual count of his wickets shows the Indian Cricket's tally to be correct. 134 of the wickets were for Bombay, 6 for Gujarat.</ref> His highest Ranji score of 245 was made against [[Saurashtra cricket team\|Saurashtra]] in 1957–58. He twice scored 1,000 runs in an Indian domestic season. He also spent a few years for Church in the [[Lancashire League (cricket)\|Lancashire League]].
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	He married his wife, Dinu, in 1951. He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.		He married his wife, Dinu, in 1951. He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

			== Legacy ==

			* BCCI named [[Polly Umrigar Award\|Polly Umrigar award]] in his honour.

	==Notes==		==Notes==
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	* Raju Bharatan, {{usurped\|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100810193209/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/30/stories/0730028j.htm An account of the events that led to Umrigar's resignation]}}		* Raju Bharatan, {{usurped\|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100810193209/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/30/stories/0730028j.htm An account of the events that led to Umrigar's resignation]}}
	*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=KYUUMELI21PFHQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2006/11/09/db0901.xml Obituary]{{dead link\|date=January 2022\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 9 November 2006		*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=KYUUMELI21PFHQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2006/11/09/db0901.xml Obituary]{{dead link\|date=January 2022\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 9 November 2006
	*[https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,1942811,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 9 November 2006		*[https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,1942811,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 9 November 2006
	*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000411/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1962678.ece Obituary], ''[[The Independent]]'', 9 November 2006		*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000411/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1962678.ece Obituary], ''[[The Independent]]'', 9 November 2006
	*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2443961,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Times]]'', 9 November 2006		*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2443961,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Times]]'', 9 November 2006

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2022-01-24T03:48:55Z

robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:18, 24 January 2022
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	{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=February 2021}}
	{{Infobox cricketer		{{Infobox cricketer
	\| name = Polly Umrigar		\| name = Polly Umrigar
	\| image = Pollyumrigar.jpg		\| image = Pollyumrigar.jpg
	\| caption =		\| caption =
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	\| birth_place = [[Solapur]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]		\| birth_place = [[Solapur]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|11\|7\|1926\|3\|28\|df=yes}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2006\|11\|7\|1926\|3\|28\|df=yes}}
	\| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]		\| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
	\| batting = Right-~~hand bat~~		\| batting = Right-handed
	\| bowling = Right-arm offbreak		\| bowling = Right-arm offbreak
	\| role = [[All-rounder]]		\| role = [[All-rounder]]
			\| international = true
			\| country = India
			\| testcap = 47
			\| testdebutagainst = West Indies
			\| testdebutdate = 9 December
			\| testdebutyear = 1948
			\| lasttestdate = 13 April
			\| lasttestfor = India
			\| lasttestagainst = West Indies
			\| lasttestyear = 1962
	\| columns = 2		\| columns = 2
	\| column1 = [[Test cricket\|~~Tests~~]]		\| column1 = [[Test cricket\|Test]]
	\| matches1 = 59		\| matches1 = 59
	\| runs1 = ~~3631~~		\| runs1 = 3,631
	\| bat avg1 = 42.22		\| bat avg1 = 42.22
	\| 100s/50s1 = 12/14		\| 100s/50s1 = 12/14
	\| top score1 = 223		\| top score1 = 223
	\| deliveries1 = ~~4725~~		\| deliveries1 = 4,725
	\| wickets1 = 35		\| wickets1 = 35
	\| bowl avg1 = 42.08		\| bowl avg1 = 42.08
	\| fivefor1 = 2		\| fivefor1 = 2
	\| tenfor1 = –		\| tenfor1 = 0
	\| best bowling1 = 6/74		\| best bowling1 = 6/74
	\| catches/stumpings1= 33/-		\| catches/stumpings1= 33/–
	\| column2 = [[First-class cricket\|First-class]]		\| column2 = [[First-class cricket\|First-class]]
	\| matches2 = 243		\| matches2 = 243
	\| runs2 = ~~16155~~		\| runs2 = 16,155
	\| bat avg2 = 52.28		\| bat avg2 = 52.28
	\| 100s/50s2 = 49/80		\| 100s/50s2 = 49/80
	\| top score2 = 252*		\| top score2 = 252[[not out\|*]]
	\| deliveries2 = ~~25297~~		\| deliveries2 = 25,297
	\| wickets2 = 325		\| wickets2 = 325
	\| bowl avg2 = 25.68		\| bowl avg2 = 25.68
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	\| tenfor2 = 2		\| tenfor2 = 2
	\| best bowling2 = 7/32		\| best bowling2 = 7/32
	\| catches/stumpings2= 217/-		\| catches/stumpings2= 217/–
	~~\| international = true~~		\| source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/35577.html CricInfo
	~~\| country = Indian~~		\| date = 31 October
	~~\| testdebutfor =~~		\| year = 2021
	~~\| testdebutagainst = West Indies~~
	~~\| testcap = 47~~
	~~\| testdebutdate = 9 December~~
	~~\| testdebutyear = 1948~~
	~~\| lasttestdate = 13 April~~
	~~\| lasttestfor =~~
	~~\| lasttestagainst = West Indies~~
	~~\| lasttestyear = 1962~~
	\| source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/35577.html
	\| date =
	\| year =
	}}		}}

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	==External links==		==External links==
	* ~~[http://content-aus.~~cricinfo~~.com/ci/content/player/~~35577~~.html Cricinfo profile]~~		* {{cricinfo\|id=35577}}
	* [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/0/838/838.html Cricketarchive profile]
	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928102301/http://www.chalomumbai.com/sports/national/2006/march/133912.htm Umrigar turns 80], Profile		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928102301/http://www.chalomumbai.com/sports/national/2006/march/133912.htm Umrigar turns 80], Profile
	* [http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/INTERACTIVE/FACE-TO-FACE/UMRIGAR-1.html Interview]		* [http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/INTERACTIVE/FACE-TO-FACE/UMRIGAR-1.html Interview]
	* Raju Bharatan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100810193209/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/30/stories/0730028j.htm An account of the events that led to Umrigar's resignation]		* Raju Bharatan, {{usurped\|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100810193209/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/30/stories/0730028j.htm An account of the events that led to Umrigar's resignation]}}
	*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=KYUUMELI21PFHQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2006/11/09/db0901.xml Obituary]{{dead link\|date=~~July 2021~~\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 9 November 2006		*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=KYUUMELI21PFHQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2006/11/09/db0901.xml Obituary]{{dead link\|date=January 2022\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 9 November 2006
	*[https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,1942811,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 9 November 2006		*[https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,1942811,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 9 November 2006
	*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000411/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1962678.ece Obituary], ''[[The Independent]]'', 9 November 2006		*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000411/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1962678.ece Obituary], ''[[The Independent]]'', 9 November 2006

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5

2021-07-06T07:08:36Z

Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5

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{{short description|Indian cricketer}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Polly Umrigar
| image = Pollyumrigar.jpg
| caption =
| fullname = Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|3|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Solapur]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|11|7|1926|3|28|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
| batting = Right-hand bat
| bowling = Right-arm offbreak
| role = [[All-rounder]]
| columns = 2
| column1 = [[Test cricket|Tests]]
| matches1 = 59
| runs1 = 3631
| bat avg1 = 42.22
| 100s/50s1 = 12/14
| top score1 = 223
| deliveries1 = 4725
| wickets1 = 35
| bowl avg1 = 42.08
| fivefor1 = 2
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = 6/74
| catches/stumpings1= 33/-
| column2 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches2 = 243
| runs2 = 16155
| bat avg2 = 52.28
| 100s/50s2 = 49/80
| top score2 = 252*
| deliveries2 = 25297
| wickets2 = 325
| bowl avg2 = 25.68
| fivefor2 = 14
| tenfor2 = 2
| best bowling2 = 7/32
| catches/stumpings2= 217/-
| international = true
| country = Indian
| testdebutfor =
| testdebutagainst = West Indies
| testcap = 47
| testdebutdate = 9 December
| testdebutyear = 1948
| lasttestdate = 13 April
| lasttestfor =
| lasttestagainst = West Indies
| lasttestyear = 1962
| source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/35577.html
| date =
| year =
}}

'''Pahlan Ratanji''' "'''Polly'''" '''Umrigar''' {{audio|Polly Umrigar.ogg|pronunciation}} (28 March 1926 – 7 November 2006) was an Indian [[cricket]]er. He played [[first-class cricket]] for Bombay and Gujarat, and [[Test cricket]] in the [[Indian cricket team]], mainly as a middle-order batsman but also bowling occasional medium pace and [[off spin]]. He [[Indian national cricket captains|captain]]ed the Indian team in eight Test matches from 1955 to 1958. When he retired in 1962, he had played in more Tests (59), scored more Test runs (3,631), and recorded more Test centuries (12), than any other Indian player. He scored the first double century by an Indian in Test cricket against New Zealand in Hyderabad.

==Early life==
Polly Umrigar was probably born in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] but his place of birth is often cited as [[Solapur]], [[Maharashtra]] (see<ref name="pob">A majority of the references cite S(h)olapur as Umrigar's place of birth. But in the interview ''A chat with midwicket explorer'' in Sportstar, 14 October 1989, p.49, Umrigar said : "Let me correct the notion that I was born in Sholapur and not in Bombay. The fact is I was born in Bombay, but learnt my cricket in Sholapur till pre-metric days". Another dissenter is Richard Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, p.76 : "For years Polly Umrigar was listed as 'born in Sholapur' whereas it is now known that he was born in Bombay."</ref>). His father ran a clothing company. He grew up in Solapur and his family moved to Bombay when he was at school.

He was a [[Parsi people|Parsi]] (from the Zoroastrian community in India), the community that dominated [[Mumbai cricket team|Bombay cricket]] in the early decades of the twentieth century.<ref>Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, p.81. Of the early Test cricketers from Bombay, [[Dattaram Hindlekar]] and [[Janardan Navle]] were the only Marathi speakers. Others – [[Sorabji Colah]], [[Jenni Irani]], [[Rustomji Jamshedji]], [[Khershed Meherhomji]], [[Rusi Modi]], [[Phiroze Palia]], [[Vijay Merchant]], [[L. P. Jai]] and [[Buck Divecha|Ramesh Divecha]] – were all Gujarati Parsees or Gujarati Hindus.</ref> He made his first class debut for Parsis at the age of 18 in the [[Bombay Pentangular]] in 1944, and studied for a BSc at [[St Xavier's College]]. He captained the Bombay University team. He also played hockey and football competitively.

==As a cricketer==

===Early Test career===
He scored 115* for Combined Universities<ref>Partab Ramchand, ''Great Indian batsmen'', p.63</ref> against the touring [[West Indies cricket team|West Indians]] in October 1948. This performance brought him to national attention, and earned him a single appearance in the 2nd Test against the same team in Bombay seven weeks later.

By the time two [[Commonwealth XI cricket team|Commonwealth teams]] visited India [[Commonwealth XI cricket team in India in 1949-50|in 1949–50]] and [[Commonwealth XI cricket team in India in 1950–51|1950–51]], Umrigar had become a regular in the team. He scored 276 runs in the unofficial Tests against the first team and 562 runs against the second. In the [[M. A. Chidambaram Stadium|Madras]] Test, he moved from 90 to 102 with two successive sixes off [[Frank Worrell]].<ref>Great Indian batsmen, p. 104. [[Vijay Hazare]], in his autobiography ''My story'' states that the sixes took Umrigar from 88 to 100.</ref>

He scored only 113 runs in the first four Tests against a weak [[English cricket team|England side]] at home a year later. He was dropped from the fifth Test but was included in the last minute due to an injury to [[Hemu Adhikari]]. Going in at No.7, he made 130 not out as India won their first ever Test match. Though the bowling was not of a very high quality, Umrigar considered it the best innings of his life.<ref>Polly Umrigar, "Oh, the first sight of clear skies", [[Outlook (Indian magazine)|''Outlook'']] Special issue on the 75 years of Indian cricket (2005), p.69 : "This innings ranks as the best of my life, though the 170-odd that I got in the Caribbean in 1961–62 was perhaps my best in terms of quality."</ref><ref>In its December 2004 issue, [[Wisden Asia Cricket]] conducted a poll among cricketers and cricket writers to select the best innings by an Indian. The 130* was ranked 29th while Umrigar's 172* at Port of Spain in 1961–62 came 45th</ref>

===England in 1952===
In England in 1952, Umrigar scored heavily outside Test matches, but in Tests he was a complete failure. His aggregate of 1,688 was the highest in the season for the Indian team. He made more than 800 runs in May and double hundreds against [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]], [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] and [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]], but seemed to struggle against the fast bowler [[Cuan McCarthy]]<ref>Partab Ramchand, Great Feats of Indian Cricket, p.102</ref> of [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge]]. However, he made only 43 runs in seven Test innings, at an average of 6.14. But more than the lack of runs, it was the way that he batted that was disturbing. While facing [[Fred Trueman]], time and again he backed away towards square leg and "(held) the bat out to each ball, missing it like a beginner".<ref>Great Feats of Indian Cricket, p.101, quoting [[S. K. Gurunathan]]'s report from [[Old Trafford (cricket ground)|Manchester]]</ref> Bedser dismissed him twice; Trueman dismissed him four times, and on three occasions he was bowled backing away.<ref>[[John Arlott]] in his biography of [[Fred Trueman]] tells of Umrigar "who at one point retreated so far back that [[Tony Lock|(Tony) Lock]], at backward short-leg, said "I say, Polly, do you mind going back. I can't see the bowler when you stand there" ".</ref>

More has perhaps been written about this series than any other phase of Umrigar's career.<ref>Some writers have gone further on the impact of Umrigar's failures and attributed the bad reputation that Indian batsmen once had against fast bowlers to it : " .. but it was the deeper wound that Trueman had inflicted on Indian cricket that could never be healed. Trueman became an ogre India could not cope with and a whole generation of Indian batsmen were branded as cowards, men who ran away to square-leg at the first sight of a fast bowler. Not all Indian batsman ran away from Trueman and it is a canard to suggest that. However, one man did. " etc. (Mihir Bose, A History of Indian Cricket, p.181)</ref> Umrigar had far more success in his other encounters with fast bowlers. He scored a hundred at [[Old Trafford (cricket ground)|Manchester]] in his next meeting with Trueman in 1959; he topped the aggregate for India in all his three series against West Indies who at various times had [[Frank King (West Indian cricketer)|Frank King]], [[Wes Hall]], [[Roy Gilchrist]] and [[Charlie Stayers]]. It was off the bowling of Hall and Stayers that he played one of the finest innings of his career.

He returned to form against Pakistan at home in 1952–53, and scored 560 runs in West Indies in early 1953 with two hundreds and four fifties.<ref>
Umrigar's 560 runs in the 1952–53 series equalled [[Rusi Modi]]'s identical tally against West Indies at home in 1948–49. This stood as an Indian record till [[Vijay Manjrekar]] scored 586 runs against England in 1961–62, and the highest abroad till [[Dilip Sardesai]] and [[Sunil Gavaskar]] made 642 and 774 runs in West Indies in 1970–71.</ref> He reached his hundred at [[Queen's Park Oval|Port of Spain]] with a six off [[Sonny Ramadhin]].<ref>Umrigar was the first Indian batsman to reach a century with a six, a feat that has since been emulated by [[Kapil Dev]], [[Sachin Tendulkar]], [[Mohammad Azharuddin]], [[Rahul Dravid]] and [[Virender Sehwag]].</ref> His innings of 223 against [[New Zealand cricket team|New Zealand]] at [[Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium|Hyderabad]] in 1955–56 was the first double century scored for India.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 March 2017|title=The first Indian to hit a double century: 'Polly' Umrigar was born on this day almost a century ago|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/polly-umrigar-first-indian-double-century-968094-2017-03-28|access-date=2020-09-24|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Full Scorecard of India vs New Zealand 1st Test 1955|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/17421/scorecard/62802/india-vs-new-zealand-1st-test-new-zealand-tour-of-india-1955-56|access-date=2020-09-24|website=espncricinfo.com|language=en}}</ref>

===Test captain===
Umrigar had led India in two unofficial Tests against the [[Commonwealth XI cricket team|Commonwealth XI]] in 1953–54 winning one of them. From the second Test match against New Zealand in 1955–56 till the first Test against the West Indies three years later, he captained the side in eight successive Test matches. India won two of the New Zealand Tests by an innings.

After one Test against the West Indies in 1958–59, he was replaced as captain by [[Ghulam Ahmed (cricketer)|Ghulam Ahmed]] who then announced his retirement from Test cricket after two successive defeats. Umrigar was again picked as captain for the fourth Test at Madras, but a confusion developed about the replacements for Ghulam Ahmed and [[Vijay Manjrekar]], who was injured. Umrigar wanted another batsman, [[Manohar Hardikar]], to replace Manjrekar, but [[Ratibhai Patel]], the President of [[Board of Control for Cricket in India|BCCI]] insisted on the off-spinner [[Jasu Patel]] to play in his place.<ref>While the BCCI President certainly went beyond his brief in insisting for Patel, Rajan Bala in ''The Covers are Off'' places some part of the blame in Umrigar's insistence on a Bombay man (Hardikar) as the replacement for Manjrekar.</ref> Umrigar resigned the captaincy on the night before the Test.<ref>Most sources agree that Umrigar resigned that night but Rajan Bala quotes Umrigar (The Covers are Off, p.71) as saying that he does not remember whether the decision to quit was taken during the night or in the morning after discussion with the selection committee chairman [[Lala Amarnath]].</ref> He represented India for three more years but never again captained the country. His 337 runs in the five Tests of the series was the highest for India.

===Late Test career===
During the tour of England in 1959, he again scored heavily outside Test matches, but struggled in the Tests again Trueman and [[Brian Statham]] until the fourth Test. He scored three double hundreds in tour matches, the 252* against Cambridge University was then the highest by an Indian abroad.<ref>Excepting [[Duleepsinhji]] and [[Ranjitsinhji]] who are English for cricketing purposes. Duleep scored 333 for [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]] against [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire]] in 1930 while Ranji's highest was 285* for Sussex v [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset]] in 1901. Umrigar's score was the highest by an Indian abroad till [[Navjot Sidhu]] made 286 against Jamaica at Kingston in 1988–89. As of 2015, it is still the highest by an Indian in England.</ref> He made 230 runs in four Test matches, including 118 in the Old Trafford Test in his last meeting with Trueman.

Umrigar's off-spin played a significant supporting role to [[Jasu Patel]] in India's first win over Australia at [[Green Park Stadium|Kanpur]] in 1959–60, but his batting remained below par, and he missed the last two Tests in the series with a back injury. He scored three hundreds in the series against [[Pakistan cricket team|Pakistan]] in 1960–61 and another against England at home in 1961–62 (his third century in as many Test innings).

[[File:Polly Umrigar graph.png|left|thumb|350px|Polly Umrigar's career performance graph.]]A few weeks later, India lost every match in a five Test series in West Indies. In the fourth Test at Port of Spain, Umrigar scored 56 and 172 not out and took 5 for 107 in the West Indian first innings.<ref>The only other Indian cricketer to score a century and take five wickets in an innings was [[Vinoo Mankad]] who scored 72 & 184 and took 5 for 196 against [[English cricket team|England]] at [[Lord's]] in 1952. In 2011/12 v West Indies at Mumbai, [[Ravichandran Ashwin]] scored 103 and took 5/156 to become the third.</ref> His fifty in the first innings came after India had lost their first five wickets for 30. India followed on and Umrigar reached his hundred in 156 minutes and 150 in 203. When [[Wes Hall]] took the second new ball, Umrigar hit him for four fours in an over.<ref>Great Feats of Indian Cricket, p.117</ref> The last two Indian wickets added 144. Umrigar's 172* in 248 minutes were scored off India's last 230 runs. He finished the series with 445 runs and nine wickets. His chronic back trouble made him announce his retirement from Test cricket after he returned home.

Umrigar continued to play first-class cricket for Bombay for another season and played his last first class match in 1967–68.

===Analysis of cricket career===
Umrigar was a powerfully built man who stood just under six feet.<ref>Cashman, p.84, quotes ''[[The Sunday Times (India)|The Sunday Times]]'', 30 April 1978, which in turn quotes Umrigar as stating that he was 5' 11½" but six feet in cricket boots</ref> An attacking player especially strong in front of the wicket, he was capable of destroying anything short of extreme pace.<ref>The opinion of [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]], ''Who's who of Test Cricketers'' (1986), p.481.</ref> In this attitude towards the bowling, he was different from most of his contemporaries. "He was a link between two generations", wrote [[K. N. Prabhu]]. "Theoretically he belonged to that assembly of cricketers of the thirties, but in practice his cricket was conditioned by the hard, professional approach of the immediate post-independence years".<ref>[[K. N. Prabhu]], in ''Mid-day''.</ref> From the early 1940s, Indian cricket had been dominated by the [[Vijay Merchant|Merchant]]-[[Vijay Hazare|Hazare]] school of batsmanship which put stress on preserving one's wicket. Umrigar's batting combined the tall scores of this era with the adventurous spirit of the thirties.

Umrigar's bowling improved over the course of his career. He bowled off-cutters, hardly flighted the ball and moved it in off the seam.<ref>Sujit Mukherjee, Playing for India, p.156</ref> Occasionally he used to bowl medium pace and open the bowling, as at Bahawalpur in 1954–55 when he took his career-best 6 for 74 against Pakistan. Umrigar rarely bowled for long spells at medium pace. At [[Bahawal Stadium|Bahawalpur]] he only bowled about six overs "at the maximum pace that he was capable of, which would be about Ramchand's" (the wickets were taken in later spells), according to [[Sujit Mukherjee]]. (See the article on [[Gulabrai Ramchand|G. S. Ramchand]] for Mukherjee's opinion about Ramchand's bowling.)

Umrigar's aggregate of 3,631 Test runs and 12 Test centuries were India's best until bettered by [[Sunil Gavaskar]] in the late seventies. He led the victorious Bombay sides in [[Ranji Trophy]] in 1959–60, 1960–61 and 1962–63. In 59 Ranji matches, for Bombay and [[Gujarat cricket team|Gujarat]], he scored 4102 runs with fifteen hundreds at an average of 70.72 and 140 wickets.<ref>140 wickets as per [[Indian Cricket (annual)|Indian Cricket 2004]] p.461 and 138 according to [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]], Who's Who of Test Cricketers (1986) p.482, but a manual count of his wickets shows the Indian Cricket's tally to be correct. 134 of the wickets were for Bombay, 6 for Gujarat.</ref> His highest Ranji score of 245 was made against [[Saurashtra cricket team|Saurashtra]] in 1957–58. He twice scored 1,000 runs in an Indian domestic season. He also spent a few years for Church in the [[Lancashire League (cricket)|Lancashire League]].

==Later life==
Umrigar was the manager of Indian touring sides to New Zealand, [[West Indies]] and Australia in the late 1970s. He was the chairman of the national selection committee between 1978 and 1982, Executive secretary of the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India|BCCI]] and the Mumbai Cricket Association Secretary. He wrote a book on cricket coaching and, for a time, he was the curator of the pitch at the [[Wankhede Stadium]]. He was awarded the [[Padma Shri]] in 1962 and the [[C.K. Nayudu Trophy]] in 1998–99 for his contributions to the game. The national Under-15 championship is contested for the Polly Umrigar Trophy.

Umrigar was diagnosed with [[lymph cancer]] and underwent [[chemotherapy]] in mid-2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001091125/http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/01/stories/2006070109231900.htm Hindu report on Umrigar's illness]</ref> He died in Mumbai from the illness on 7 November 2006.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/india/6126152.stm Former India skipper Umrigar dies] bbc.co.uk, accessed 7 November 2006</ref>

He married his wife, Dinu, in 1951. He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Partab Ramchand, Great Feats of Indian Cricket, Rupa & Co
* Partab Ramchand, Great Indian Batsmen, Rupa & Co (2005)
* Sujit Mukherjee, Playing for India, Orient Longman (1988)
* Mihir Bose, A History of Indian Cricket (1990)
* Rajan Bala, The Covers are Off, Rupa & Co (2004)
* Richard Cashman, Patrons, Players and the Crowd, Orient Longman(1980)

==External links==
* [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/35577.html Cricinfo profile]
* [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/0/838/838.html Cricketarchive profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928102301/http://www.chalomumbai.com/sports/national/2006/march/133912.htm Umrigar turns 80], Profile
* [http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/INTERACTIVE/FACE-TO-FACE/UMRIGAR-1.html Interview]
* Raju Bharatan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100810193209/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/30/stories/0730028j.htm An account of the events that led to Umrigar's resignation]
*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=KYUUMELI21PFHQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2006/11/09/db0901.xml Obituary]{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 9 November 2006
*[https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,1942811,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 9 November 2006
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000411/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article1962678.ece Obituary], ''[[The Independent]]'', 9 November 2006
*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2443961,00.html Obituary], ''[[The Times]]'', 9 November 2006

{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Ghulam Ahmed (cricketer)|Ghulam Ahmed]] |
title=[[Indian national cricket captains|Indian national cricket captain]]|
years=1955/6 – 1958-9|
after=[[Ghulam Ahmed (cricketer)|Ghulam Ahmed]]
}}
{{ s-end }}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{Indian Test Cricket Captains}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Umrigar, Polly}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Solapur]]
[[Category:Deaths from lymphoma]]
[[Category:India Test cricket captains]]
[[Category:India Test cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:Mumbai cricketers]]
[[Category:Parsees cricketers]]
[[Category:Commonwealth XI cricketers]]
[[Category:Saurashtra cricketers]]
[[Category:Gujarat cricketers]]
[[Category:West Zone cricketers]]
[[Category:Associated Cement Company cricketers]]
[[Category:Parsi people]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in India]]
[[Category:India national cricket team selectors]]
[[Category:Indian cricket administrators]]
[[Category:Indian cricket coaches]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Maharashtra]]