Kumar Shree Ranjitsinhji – Comprehension

Wren and Martin Comprehension Exercise 147

Yes, there were giants before the Jam Sahib (the great Indian cricketer, Kumar Shree Ranjitsinhji, better known to the world of cricket as Ranji). And yet I think it is undeniable that as a batsman the Indian will live as the supreme exponent of the Englishman’s game. The claim does not rest simply on his achievements although, judged by them, the claim could be sustained. His season’s average of 87 with a total of over 3,000 runs, is easily the high-water mark of English cricket. Thrice he has totalled over 3,000 runs and no one else has equalled that record. And is not his the astonishing achievement of scoring two double centuries in a single match on a single day – not against a feeble attack, but against Yorkshire, always the most resolute and resourceful of bowling teams ? But we do not judge a cricketer so much by the runs he gets as by the way he gets them. “In literature as in finance,” says Washington Irving, “much paper and much poverty may co-exist.” And in cricket too many runs and much dullness may be associated. If cricket is menaced with creeping paralysis, it is because it is losing the spirit of joyous adventure and becoming a mere instrument for compiling tables of averages. There are dull, mechanic fellows who turn out runs with as little emotion as a machine turns out pins. There is no colour, no enthusiasm, no character in their play. Cricket is not an adventure to them; it is a business. It was so with Shrewsbury. His technical perfection was astonishing; but the soul of the game was wanting in him. There was no sunshine in his play, no swift surprise or splendid unselfishness. And without these things without gaiety, daring, and the spirit of sacrifice cricket is a dead thing. Now, the Jam Sahib has the root of the matter in him. His play is as sunny as his face. He is not a miser hoarding up runs, but a millionaire spending them, with a splendid yet judicious prodigality. It is as though his pockets are bursting with runs that he wants to shower with his blessings upon the expectant multitude. It is not difficult to believe that in his little kingdom Nawangar where he has power of life and death in his hands he is extremely popular for it is obvious that his pleasure is in giving pleasure.
-A.G. Gardiner

1. Correct the following statistics, if necessary:-
(a) His season’s average of 87 with a total of over 3,000 runs is easily the high-water mark of English cricket.
(b) Thrice he has totaled over 3,000 runs, and no one else has equaled that record.
(c) He scored two double centuries in a single match on a single day.
All the statistics are correct.

2. “Many runs and much dullness may be associated.” Prove this.
Many cricketers lack vividness in their play. That is because, their play appears mechanical. It was so with Shrewsbury. He had technical perfection, but, there was no enthusiasm, no sunshine in his play. Therefore, many runs and much dullness are associated.

3. Mention some reasons why cricket is losing its lustre.
To many players, cricket is not a game, it is a business. They make runs mechanically . This results in no colour or swift surprises in their play. This is the reason why cricket is losing its lustre.

4. What gives cricket its “character”?
Gaiety is the very thing that gives cricket its “character”.

5. How should real cricket be played ?
The way real cricket should be played is with a spirit of adventure and unselfishness.

6. Describe in your own words the secret of the Jam Sahib’s wizardry with the bat.
Jam Sahib was a lively player. He never thought cricket as a business; to him, cricket was an adventure. He never struggled to score or hoard up runs. His play was the epitome of vividness, spirit, enthusiasm and gaiety. It was a great treat to witness his play.

7. Make a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” for a promising cricketer.