Vijay Merchant
Encyclopedia
Vijaysingh Madhavji Merchant , real name Vijay Madhavji Thakersey (October 12, 1911 - October 27, 1987) was an India
n cricketer
. A right-hand batter and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first class cricket for Mumbai cricket team
as well as 10 Test matches
for India between 1929 and 1951. Behind his limited Test appearances, he dominated Indian domestic cricket - his batting average
of 71.64 is the second highest first class average in history, behind only that of Don Bradman. He is regarded as the founder of the Bombay School of Batsmanship, that placed more importance on right technique, steely temperament, and conservative approach rather than free flow of the bat, a tradition broken and remoulded only after the arrival of Sachin Tendulkar
.
His international career included two tours of England upon which he scored over 4,000 runs. English cricketer CB Fry exclaimed "Let us paint him white and take him with us to Australia as an opener." His brother, Uday
, also played first-class cricket.
Besides cricket, he was also associated with the Hindoostan Spinning & Weaving Mills (Thakersey Group)
, then Bombay, into a wealthy family in 1911. He was an "outstanding college cricketer" who captained Sydenham College, Bombay while studying there; his success for Sydenham led to selection for Hindus cricket team
during the 1929 Bombay Quadrangular
. He also continued to play for Sydenham and in 1931 he set the record in Bombay inter-collegiate cricket by scoring 504 runs and taking 29 wickets. His continued success in domestic cricket resulted in the call to the Indian cricket team
to play against the visiting English team at Bombay Gymkhana
, which was also the first Test to be played on Indian soil. Throughout his career, Merchant was involved in a rivalry with the other great Indian batsman of the era, Vijay Hazare
. In the Bombay Pentangular match against the Rest, he bested Hazare's record of 242, set just in the previous match against the Muslims, with 250 not out. Hazare responded with a 309 out of a team total of 387 in the next innings, in what is generally held the greatest innings ever played in India before 1947. Merchant topped it by scoring 359 against Maharashtra in Ranji trophy
.
, and was unfortunate that some of the best years of his career were lost to the Second World War, when no international cricket was played. He also missed tours to Australia and the West Indies due to poor health. However, Merchant went out to score 154 in his last Test match against England in Delhi, which was also his highest Test score. A shoulder injury incurred while fielding in that game forced him to retire. All ten matches of Merchant's Test career were against England.
He went on to become a cricket administrator, broadcaster, writer and national selector, and charitable advocate of the handicapped.
in first-class cricket
was 71.64, putting him second only to Don Bradman of Australia
. In India's domestic Ranji Trophy
matches, he fared even better, averaging 98.75 in 47 innings. His record is especially impressive as his runs came at a time of uncovered wickets. Merchant was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year
in 1937. Vijay Merchant is also the oldest Indian player to score a test century (154 at an age of 40 years 21 days from India vs England match in 1951-52).
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. A right-hand batter and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first class cricket for Mumbai cricket team
Mumbai cricket team
The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team representing the city of Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, India's top domestic cricket competition, with 39 titles, the most recent being in 2009–10. The team's home ground is the Wankhede Stadium in...
as well as 10 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for India between 1929 and 1951. Behind his limited Test appearances, he dominated Indian domestic cricket - his batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 71.64 is the second highest first class average in history, behind only that of Don Bradman. He is regarded as the founder of the Bombay School of Batsmanship, that placed more importance on right technique, steely temperament, and conservative approach rather than free flow of the bat, a tradition broken and remoulded only after the arrival of Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
.
His international career included two tours of England upon which he scored over 4,000 runs. English cricketer CB Fry exclaimed "Let us paint him white and take him with us to Australia as an opener." His brother, Uday
Uday Merchant
Udaykant Madhavji Merchant was an Indian first class cricketer.The brother of Test player Vijay Merchant, Uday was a right-handed batsman and played in the Ranji Trophy for Bombay...
, also played first-class cricket.
Besides cricket, he was also associated with the Hindoostan Spinning & Weaving Mills (Thakersey Group)
Domestic Cricket
Merchant was born in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, then Bombay, into a wealthy family in 1911. He was an "outstanding college cricketer" who captained Sydenham College, Bombay while studying there; his success for Sydenham led to selection for Hindus cricket team
Hindus cricket team
The Hindus cricket team was an Indian first-class cricket team which took part in the annual Bombay tournament. The team was founded by members of the Hindu community in Bombay....
during the 1929 Bombay Quadrangular
Bombay Quadrangular
The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular....
. He also continued to play for Sydenham and in 1931 he set the record in Bombay inter-collegiate cricket by scoring 504 runs and taking 29 wickets. His continued success in domestic cricket resulted in the call to the Indian cricket team
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
to play against the visiting English team at Bombay Gymkhana
Bombay Gymkhana
Bombay Gymkhana ,, established in 1875, is one of the premiere gymkhanas in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located in the South Mumbai area and was originally built as a British-only club, designed by English architect, Claude Batley. The Gymkhana Grounds lie in the southern end of the Azad Maidan...
, which was also the first Test to be played on Indian soil. Throughout his career, Merchant was involved in a rivalry with the other great Indian batsman of the era, Vijay Hazare
Vijay Hazare
Vijay Samuel Hazare was an Indian cricket player from the state of Maharashtra. He captained the Indian cricket team in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953...
. In the Bombay Pentangular match against the Rest, he bested Hazare's record of 242, set just in the previous match against the Muslims, with 250 not out. Hazare responded with a 309 out of a team total of 387 in the next innings, in what is generally held the greatest innings ever played in India before 1947. Merchant topped it by scoring 359 against Maharashtra in Ranji trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
.
International career
Merchant's Test career spanned 18 years but during that time he played only ten Test matchesTest cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, and was unfortunate that some of the best years of his career were lost to the Second World War, when no international cricket was played. He also missed tours to Australia and the West Indies due to poor health. However, Merchant went out to score 154 in his last Test match against England in Delhi, which was also his highest Test score. A shoulder injury incurred while fielding in that game forced him to retire. All ten matches of Merchant's Test career were against England.
He went on to become a cricket administrator, broadcaster, writer and national selector, and charitable advocate of the handicapped.
Legacy
Although Vijay Merchant played only ten test matches, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest batmen of his era. He was an attractive stroke maker, who "developed fine footwork, and built a stroke repertoire featuring a lovely cut, grasscutting drives, a delicate glance and late-cut, and, until later in his career, a brilliant hook stroke." His batting averageBatting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
was 71.64, putting him second only to Don Bradman of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In India's domestic Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
matches, he fared even better, averaging 98.75 in 47 innings. His record is especially impressive as his runs came at a time of uncovered wickets. Merchant was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in 1937. Vijay Merchant is also the oldest Indian player to score a test century (154 at an age of 40 years 21 days from India vs England match in 1951-52).