India- Australia Cricket Series of 1964 and Kashmir Press

Cricket in every season and every year is a religion in India! Ever since its advent in the sub-continent, people have always exhibited their interest to know and discuss about the game and its players through different forms of communication, platforms and medium. Prior to the visual coverage of the game, people would solely rely on Radio commentary or some specific magazines devoted to Cricket. Kashmir Press was not lagging behind in providing coverage to the “gentle man’s’’ game

Radio’s first Cricket Commentary

The first known cricket commentary on the radio is believed to have taken place in England during the 1921 Ashes series between England and Australia. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) had just been formed, and they decided to cover the cricket matches as part of their broadcast schedule.

In India, Cricket commentary on Radio had begun in 1948-49 when All India Radio (AIR) assigned a panel of commentators for India’s first home series.  Henry “Blowers” Blofeld was the first cricket commentator of AIR. Prior to that, BBC had two five-minute segments for the Indian audience for the 1946 tour— Abdul Hamid Sheikh in Hindi, and a young John Arlott in English.

Listening to commentary on a Radio set was a luxary. Those who could not afford used to rely on newspaper or magazines who would cover the game after it was sover.

Cricket Coverage and Kashmir Press

Prior to 1990, Kashmir Press was religiously publishing Cricket related news items, besides the schedule of the radio commentaries. Kashmir Rechords, from its archives, is reproducing a picture of one such cricket match of yesteryears, printed by an Urdu magazine! It was the first test match of 1964 series between India and Australia, played at Corporation Stadium in Madras (Now Chennai) between 2 October to 7 October 1964. The five-day match was won by Australia, who scored 211 and 397 runs. India scored 276 and 193 runs. MV Nagendra and Samar Roy (Both Indians) were the Umpires for this match.

Urdu magazines of that era, had covered the event and also given commentary timing of two  other matches of the same series, played later at Bombay ( Mumbai)  and Calcutta ( Kolkata). Players like Salim Durrani, Nadkarni, and Hanumant Singh formed the playing squad for India.

Bob Simpson was captaining the Australian team. Other prominent players of Australian squad were Norm O’Neill, Peter Burge, Brian Booth, Johnny Martin, Ian Redpath, Tom Veivers and Graham McKenzie.

 The Australian national cricket team had played three Test matches in India against the India national cricket team in 1964. The three-Test series was drawn, with the Australians taking the first Test (Madras), the Indians winning the second (Bombay), and the third match at Calcutta was drawn.

     The second test was held in Mumbai from October 10–15. The third test was held in Calcutta from October 17–22.