The 1935 Australian Cricket Tour of India: Breaking Down Social and Racial Barriers [Paperback]

Megan Ponsford investigates the uneasy relationships between Australia, British India and Indian nationalism during the interwar period, using the 1935/36 tour as a case study.

1. Introduction 2. Bhupinder and Tarrant: players of the game 3. The has- beens and never will-bes 4. Who are these Australian fellows with Grim determination and astounding stamina? 5. Neither home nor away 6. The launch of Indian- Australian cricket 7. Beer, banquets and a Patiala Peg: food and drink on tour 8. Photographic reportage and the colonial imaginary 9. The atmosphere vibrated with triumphant joy 10. Conclusion

The first Australian cricket tour to India possesses an inherent intrigue that, for inexplicable reasons, has fallen into obscurity. Megan Ponsford rectifies this through her investigation of the uneasy relationships between Australia, British India and Indian nationalism during the interwar period, using the 1935/36 tour as a case study. The unique liaison between the entrepreneurial tour manager Frank Tarrant and the Maharaja of Patiala, who financed the exercise, led the way.

From the palaces of the Raj to the foothills of the Himalayas, the evolving racial consciousness of the ragtag team of Australia cricketers defines the tour. The cricket establishment was also challenged as the tour defied the amateur game with participation encouraged by the Maharajas deep pockets.

Employing a unique methodology, this book interprets the material culture located in the archives of the Australian and Indian cricketers. In the absence of first-hand accounts, these artefacts enable insight into the forgotten and overlooked sportspeople who are finally given the voice and acknowledgement they deserve. It is a brilliant new contribution to the study of both cricket and history, and will be a great resource for academics, researchers, and advanced students of History, Politics, Sports, Sociology, and Cultl£Y