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Polly Umrigar is a Parsi cricket participant from Mumbai. His full title was Pahlan Ratanji Umrigar, however he was fondly known as ‘Polly’. Earlier than the grant of Independence the Parsi group performed a big function in Indian cricket. Polly was a product from that period and initially performed for the Parsis within the Pentangular. He began his profession in 1944 on the age of 18 and performed his final cricket sport in 1968, spanning an period in Indian cricket.
Polly in England
He adopted up by hitting two extra double lots of on the 1959 tour with a highest rating of 252 not out. The 5 double lots of that Umrigar hit in county cricket is an Indian report and no Indian batsman together with Tendulkar or Gavaskar has been capable of emulate this feat. On the 1959 tour Polly made amends for his earlier failures with 118 on the Oval towards Truman and Statham. His 252 not out stays the best rating by an Indian in England. A truth that’s typically missed is that regardless of his failures within the Take a look at Matches, Polly was nearly within the run to finish 1000 runs in Could through the 1959 tour. Outdoors the English excursions Umrigar was a greater than profitable batsman.
He’s additionally the primary Indian to hit a double century in Take a look at cricket when he hit 223 towards New Zealand in 1956 at Hyderabad. Umrigar’s greatest success was towards the West Indies. In two excursions to the Caribbean islands he endeared himself to the crowds there, together with his penchant for hitting sixes and earned the nickname as ‘Palm Tree hitter.’ He reached his hundred within the Trinidad check match with a six of Sonny Ramadhin through the 1953 tour.
Polly within the West Indies
Polly scored closely towards the West Indies in 2 excursions and hit 3 centuries. Within the 1953 tour he was capable of shake of his stigma as bunny towards tempo males by hitting 560 runs within the sequence. He adopted up by hitting over 400 runs on the 1962 tour with a powerful 172 not out within the fourth check. Polly’s success within the West Indies is meals for thought and one wonders why he failed in England. Maybe it was a disaster of confidence. On the 1958-59 West Indies tour of India, Polly confronted the superfast Gilchrist and Wes Corridor with aplomb and averaged over 44 with 3 fifties.
Polly In opposition to Different Nations
Polly was additionally successful towards Pakistan, towards whom he hit 5 centuries. On the 1954-55 tour of Pakistan Polly was the lone centurion from the Indian facet with an innings of 108 within the third check. On the 1960-61 tour of India by Pakistan Polly batted regally and hit 3 centuries. He had scores of 115 at Kanpur, 117 at Madras and 117 at Delhi.
General Polly performed 59 exams for India and averaged 42.22, which is about the identical common as Mohinder Amarnath and GR Vishwanath. Thus one can gauge the usual of Polly Umrigar. In all Polly hit 12 check centuries. Polly additionally scored closely within the Ranjit trophy the place he hit 15 centuries. It’s to his credit score that he by no means missed a house outing for Bombay at any timehe was in India. Polly was additionally a greater than helpful off break bowler who helped Jasu Patel rout Australia at Kanpur with a spell of 4/27.
Polly had average success towards Australia and in 6 outings towards the Aussies he may get just one fifty. In all Polly hit 3667 runs in check cricket and this remained a report until Sunil Gavaskar over took him within the seventies. He 12 centuries remained a report for over 15 years until Sunil Gavaskar overtook him within the seventies.
Contribution
What’s Polly’s contribution to Indian cricket? In a single phrase one can say ‘immense’. He performed at a time when the sport had little cash in it and was not as skilled as as we speak. He was the primary keep of Indian batting for over a decade and deserves credit score for it. Together with Vijay Manjereker he shaped the vanguard of Indian batting. Polly additionally led India in 8 check matches, but it surely was not a contented expertise and eventually he resigned his captaincy through the 1958-59 tour of the West Indies on the onset of the 4th check at Madras.
Regardless of his failings as a captain, Polly did yeoman service to Indian cricket. The cricket board has additionally remembered Umrigar by naming the beneath 15 college cricket championship after his title. Polly died in 2006, leaving an everlasting picture of a genial and greater than competent batsman.
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Source by Madan G Singh
