The latter half of the 1920s witnessed the fantastic opening pair of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe accumulating massive scores for England in Test cricket. Hobbs’ retirement in 1930, therefore, left England in a quandary. While there was no dearth of openers in the country, an able replacement for Hobbs seemed to be elusive.
Percy Holmes slotted in, and he justified his promise in 1932 during a record breaking 555-run stand with Sutcliffe for Yorkshire against Essex. Ten days later, as England faced an inexperienced Indian team, no-one had anticipated two touring 21-year-olds to seize the limelight ahead of the English openers.
Mohammad Nissar and Ladha Amar Singh, India’s first fast bowlers in Test cricket, tormented the famed English line-up and built the foundation to what would turn out to be one of the most successful bowling partnerships for India in its history.
Standing at around six feet, Nissar was tall and brawny – traits ideal for a fast bowler. Indeed, he hurled the ball at such breakneck speed that his contemporaries swore that he was the fastest they had ever faced.
Within minutes of having bowled the first ball for his country in Tests, Nissar sent Sutcliffe packing with an intimidating yorker that swung in and late. Another vicious delivery claimed the wicket of Holmes shortly after, with England stunned at 11-2.
Nissar completed a 5-wicket haul that day, becoming the first Indian to do so and leaving a lasting impression on the opposition. The 1932 tour saw him claim 71 victims at an astounding average of 18.09. Fast and lethally accurate, Nissar turned out to be a nightmare for the opposition.
INDIA’S FASTEST BOWLER IS BORN
Born August 1, 1910 at Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Nissar found himself training at an early age in the nets of Lahore’s Minto Park. He took 6-68 in the trials held to select the team for touring England and was subsequently drafted in for the pilgrimage to cricket’s motherland.
Running in from a distance of nearly twenty two yards, the sight of Nissar’s colossal frame uncoiling in its final act before the ball left his hand used to be a treat for the traditional lovers of the game. India’s first skipper, CK Nayudu, said: “Early in his spells, Nissar was quicker than even [Harold] Larwood.”
When Jack Ryder’s Australia visited the country in the winter of 1935, Nissar ensured a warm welcome. If 32 wickets in four unofficial Tests at 13 apiece weren’t enough, eminent cricket writer Neville Cardus’ tribute highlighted the impact Nissar’s raw pace had on the Aussies. “Nissar’s speed during half a dozen overs was really capital; in every over, we saw half-hit defensive strokes, untidy, uncertain,” he wrote.
In six Tests, Nissar grabbed 25 wickets at an average of 28.28. The fact that 13 of his victims were either bowled or trapped leg before bears testimony to his sheer pace and precision. He averaged as low as 17.70 in 93 first-class matches with 396 wickets in his tally.
UPHOLDING THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME
Despite possessing the physique and pace required to intimidate batsmen, Nissar always preferred a more gallant approach. He believed in allowing the ball to do the talking instead of relying on sledging or peppering batsmen with bouncers. It was this quality that persuaded former India captain Vijay Merchant to liken him to Australian Ray Lindwall, another advocate of a gentle approach to the gentleman’s game.
Nissar’s approach didn’t go down well with everyone, though. His refusal to bowl bouncers at the injured Vinoo Mankad during the Pentangular match in 1939 against The Hindus left The Muslims captain Wazir Ali extremely displeased.
THE SWANSONG AND THE END
Quite justly, Nissar’s last Test in the 1936 English tour did not rob him of the glory a bowler of his stature deserved. With England cruising at 422/3 at The Oval, Nissar returned with the ball to castle double centurion Wally Hammond and centurion Stan Worthington. He claimed four scalps in five overs and finished off with figures of 5-120.
Once the Second World War broke out in 1939, international cricket came to a standstill. Nissar continued to ply his trade on the domestic circuit for Southern Punjab, but never featured in an international again.
Amar Singh’s demise at a young age of 29 also played a role in scripting the end of Nissar’s cricketing career, for he never quite managed the pace or performance that had once catapulted him to stardom.
He moved to Lahore and founded the Pakistan Cricket Board where he worked as an administrator and selector, before passing away in 1963 at the age of 52.
In 2006, Nissar was honored by both the Indian and Pakistani cricket boards when they announced the Nissar Trophy – an annual match played between the winners of Ranji Trophy and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
