India's First Home Test — Bombay Gymkhana, December 1933

England's tour of India in 1933-34 was the first reciprocal series after India's 1932 tour. Jardine, freshly removed from the post-Bodyline blow-up, accepted the MCC's offer of the India captaincy. The Bombay Gymkhana was used because the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium would not open until 1937.

England, batting first, made 438. India lost three quick wickets and were 5/130 when Amarnath came together with Naoomal Jaoomal. Naoomal had retired hurt earlier in the day and now returned to bat with the new sensation.

Jardine, six months on from his Bodyline knighthood-by-omission, captained the MCC tour of India in late 1933. Three Tests were scheduled: Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. The Bombay Gymkhana, founded 1875, was a Europeans-only club whose pavilion Indian players could enter only as players; even CK Nayudu, India's captain, could not be a member. The decision to play the country's first home Test there was politically uncomfortable but logistically inevitable: the ground had the only Test-standard facilities in Bombay.

India, captained by Nayudu, batted second after England's 438 (Bryan Valentine 136 on debut). Nayudu top-scored with 18 before falling cheaply, and India lurched to 5 for 130. Lala Amarnath, 22, on Test debut, then made history. He drove, cut and pulled the English seamers — Clark, Nichols, Verity and Langridge — for 21 fours and reached 100 in just 117 minutes, the first Test century by an Indian. He was eventually caught for 118.

India made 219 and were forced to follow on, but Amarnath's innings was the news. Bombay's stands rose for him; jewellery, gold sovereigns, and one heifer were reportedly presented to him at the close of play. India lost the Test by nine wickets but had its first Test centurion. The Bombay Gymkhana Test was the only one ever played at the ground; from 1948 the Brabourne Stadium and from 1975 the Wankhede have hosted Bombay's Tests.

“I just kept hitting them — they were good bowlers but the wicket was true.”

“A young man whose strokes off the back foot are already in the European class.”

Amarnath was made for life — locally, anyway; he would be cricket's most famous Indian for two decades. The Bombay Gymkhana never hosted another Test. The Brabourne Stadium, opened by the CCI in December 1937, took over Bombay's Test rota until the Wankhede's 1975 opening. Jardine ended the series 2-0 winners and never captained England again.