Palwankar Baloo: Story of the first great Indian cricketer

Cricket in India has not always been as we perceived it to be. In order to bring the game to its current pedestal, a long journey had to be taken, marked by numerous contributions by patrons of the sport. The British brought the game into our country and used it effectively as a part of their divide and rule policy. The Pentangular tournament which pitted people from different religions against each other is a testament to this fact.

Despite being vehemently opposed by Gandhi and his compatriots, the tournament garnered a huge fan-following amongst the masses who watched the matches with great zeal and enthusiasm. Though the Pentangular competition was a communal tournament, it played a great deal in training the posterity for their future in cricket. In time, the tournament was replaced by an effective alternative in Ranji Trophy, in which teams were based on a geographical basis rather than a religious one.

There were a lot of prejudices based on caste in cricket during the British rule and it took a lot of work from various activists and cricketers themselves to isolate the game from caste-based discrimination. Today, the sport is open to all Indians; everyone is equally eligible to play for a team and selection is based purely on merit.

Such progressive developments in Indian cricket can be traced back to the time when Palwankar Baloo- The first Dalit cricketer made his debut.

Who was Palwankar Baloo?

Palwankar Baloo is one of the oldest, greatest yet the most underrated cricketer. A left-arm spinner, he was born in 1875 in Dharwad, but his family moved soon to Poona where his father found work in cleaning guns and cartridges in a Government-run depot. Such a job, considered demeaning by the upper-caste Hindus of that time ironically propelled him towards a cricketing career.

Baloo worked as a servant in Poona Gymkhana where the English cricketers recognised his potential. He became a net bowler for their team and the word of his skills travelled all around the region. The legendary cricketer had found his first steps in the world of cricket.

Initial Career- Stint with Deccan and Bombay Gymkhana

Baloo was ultimately scouted by the Deccan Gymkhana who desperately wanted to beat the British. Though his fellow cricketers respected his bowling prowess, they did not consider him as an equal member of their team. He was not allowed to dine with them and during the customary ‘Tea-break’, he was made to stand apart from the rest of the team and his tea was served to him in a disposable cup.

His lunch was served to him on a separate table and if he wanted to wash his hands, a fellow dalit would take him to corner of the room and bring water to him. In time, he was recruited by the Bombay Gymkhana, a much more prestigious club. His younger brothers, Vithal, Ganpat and Shivram followed suit and were also selected. The teams learned to play with the supposed ‘untouchables’ but there was still a prejudice left to be trampled upon.

The Captaincy Conundrum

Over the time, the upper caste Hindus learned to play with the members of other castes, however, they could still not deal with playing under their leadership. A prime example of such prejudice was not allowing Baloo to lead the team despite his vast experience. Baloo was one of the most talented and intelligent cricketers of his generation, yet he was never made the official captain of the team. It was believed that an untouchable being appointed as the captain of an all-caste team would mean the upturning of all social hierarchy.

An interesting aspect of Baloo’s fight for captaincy was the resultant solidarity amongst players. Unlike managers of the team, the players realized that the role of captain was essential to the team and could not bear the burden of caste-based prejudices. The captain had to be appointed on merit, leaving aside frivolous caste based regulations. There were numerous campaigns by the players to appoint Baloo as the captain, but to no avail. When M.D Pai was appointed as the captain, he openly proclaimed that the honour of captaincy should have been given to Baloo.

When Pai was indisposed for the first match of the Quadrangular tournament, a relatively inexperienced D.B Deodhar was appointed as a captain in his stead. On the other hand, Baloo was dropped from the team altogether. Vithal and Shivram withdrew from the match in protest and a wide uproar was caused. After Mahtama Gandhi voiced his support for the ‘untouchable’, their struggle for captaincy received the moral sanction of the most influential Indian leader.

Caving into the pressure, Baloo was finally appointed as the vice-captain for the final match of the tournament. In a clever gesture, the skipper M.D Pai deliberately left the field for a large amount of time during the match, effectively leaving Baloo in charge as the captain. His captaincy was praised and his ‘fine judgment in management of his side’s bowling’ was highly appreciated. Three years later, his younger brother Vithal, who was then in the prime of his cricketing form was appointed as the captain.

The effect of his contributions

Many cricketing experts regard Baloo as W.G Grace’s equivalent, as the first truly great cricketer produced by India. However, his contributions to the sport exceeded far beyond the boundaries. His rise in Indian cricket ran parallel to the rise of oppressed castes in the Indian society. He laid the foundation on which the politics of modern Indian cricket is based.

Today players belonging to every caste have an equal chance of being selected in the team and being made captain. Indian cricket team has one of the most diverse squads of all international teams. This progressive shift in the Indian cricketing dynamic can all be attributed to the forgotten legend: Palwankar Baloo.