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Demise of India's first cricket captain Amarnath |
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August 6, 2000
NEW DELHI (AP) - Lala Amarnath, India's first cricket captain, died in sleep on Saturday at his home in the Indian capital, his son said. Amarnath was 88. Amarnath was confined to bed since he underwent surgery for a hip bone fracture in February, his son Rajender Amarnath said. His funeral will take place on Sunday. Amarnath is survived by three sons. Two of them, Surinder and Mohinder, also have played test cricket for India. Cricket is India's most popular sport. A dashing allrounder, Lala Amarnath played 24 tests, 15 of them as India's captain. He scored 878 runs and claimed 45 wickets. He began his career in 1933 when India was ruled by Britain. He scored 118 against England, the first century by an Indian in test cricket. Amarnath's unpredictable temper and outspoken nature made him controversial in the cricket world. He walked out of an England tour in 1936 after clashing with his captain. He later returned as captain for the Australian tour in 1947 after India won independence from Britain. Amarnath led India to a 2-1 win in their first test series against archrival Pakistan in 1952 before retiring at the end of that series. He later became a radio and television commentator. |