One of the most popular sports in India is cricket. It has become a cultural phenomenon in the life of the country and its population. Competitions gather a huge army of fans, leading players become universal idols.
For a more thorough introduction to the game, you should find out Interesting facts about cricket.
Basic facts from the history of the game
Cricket was brought to India by the British; the first match was played by them in 1721 in Cambay. The Indians opened their first club in 1848 in what was then Bombay, now the city is called Mumbai.
The Indian team entered the international arena much later, playing against the British in London in 1932. This battle ended in the defeat of the guests, the difference was 158 points. The country’s national team had to wait a long time for its first victory; it came in 1952 in Test cricket over the England team.
Golden era
It dates back to 1983, when the Indian national team won the World Cup. The players were led by the famous captain Kapil Devi, and the West Indies were beaten in the final. This triumph gave impetus to the passion of millions of boys, from whom a whole galaxy of great players later grew up.
One of them was Sachin Tendulkar. He entered the adult game in 1989 at the age of 16. Continued to play until his forties and topped both Test and ODI cricket. He won more than a hundred tournaments with his team, making more than 34 thousand runs. He is called the “God of Cricket” and is officially considered the second-best player of all time among representatives of all nationalities, including the founders – the British.
Among the memorable matches, it is worth highlighting the Test cricket match in Calcutta against the
Australians in 2001, the victory over Pakistan in 2007.
The Indians won their second victory at the World Cup in 2011, 28 years after their first success. The game was played in Mumbai, and the Sri Lankan team was defeated.
The best players and contributions to world sports
Among the outstanding athletes in this sport, it is worth highlighting:
- Sunil Gavaskar, the first to reach 10 thousand runs in Test cricket.
- Kapil Deva held the record of 434 Test wickets for a long time.
- Anil Kumble, who took all 10 wickets in his innings against Pakistan.
- Dhoni, the team captain who won all three major ICC trophies.
It was in Indian cricket that the Hawk Eye and Spidercam cameras were tested and introduced, which are now used in almost all team sports. Also, representatives of this country were at the forefront of introducing the idea of a decision review system, which improved the definition of all situations in the game.
