Amarnath, Lala (1911-2000), was one of the greatest figures in the history of cricket in India . Amarnath was an outstanding batter, bowler, and wicketkeeper. He was also a coach, manager, and popular broadcaster. Amarnath was the first Indian cricket player to score a century (100 runs) in a Test match. He was also the first captain of the Indian Test cricket team after the country gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. Amarnath captained India to its first Test series victory against Pakistan in 1952. For an explanation of cricket positions and terms, see Cricket .
Nanik Amarnath Bhardwaj was born on Sept. 11, 1911, in Kapurthala in the state of Punjab . He grew up and played club cricket in Lahore , in what is now Pakistan. He made his debut in 1933 in a match against England . In batting, Amarnath was right-hand bat, and in bowling, he was right-hand medium pace. During his Test career, Amarnath played 24 matches and scored 878 runs. He played in 186 first-class cricket matches, scoring 10,426 runs. Amarnath played his final Test match in 1952 and retired from first-class competition in 1964.
Amarnath managed the Indian national team from 1954 to 1955 and was a member of the national selection committee in the late 1950’s. From the 1960’s through the 1980’s, he was a popular commentator for cricket broadcasts. During his time in cricket, Amarnath befriended many Pakistani cricketers and administrators. He was widely respected in Pakistan, despite the country’s political tensions with India. His death on Aug. 5, 2000, was mourned throughout the international cricket community.
