'The soundest batsman in India' is how Douglas Jardine described Vijay Merchant after the latter's first tour of England in 1936. While most ordinary batsmen would have crumbled under the weight of such an accolade, Merchant was inspired and pushed himself even harder.

India's first outstanding Test batsman, Merchant was a picture of supreme confidence at the crease. Though comparatively short in stature, he never let that hinder him. He had perfect footwork and a quick eye, an attribute to his early morning practice sessions in Bombay. Like all other Indian batsmen of his generation, he was brought up to believe that the conditions prevalent in England were very different from those in India. The ball would seam off the pitch and in the air. And it would not swing for merely a few overs but throughout the day. The dilemma Merchant faced was how to duplicate those conditions in India. He came up with the perfect answer. Early in the morning in Bombay, the misty sea atmosphere would make the ball swing and the dew on the wicket would make in seam and skid. So, Merchant was up every morning practicing against the best and the fastest bowlers available, fine-tuning his technique for England.

Born on 12 October, 1911, in Bombay, Merchant was a classical batsman in every sense. Right-handed, his cutting, both late and square, was that of the highest standard. There was certainty in every shot he played, whether it be the hook or the drive (he was especially good off fast bowlers) or playing the ball off his legs. He was simply brilliant.

Not a flamboyant bat, he preferred to build his innings. The great virtues of patience, dedication and the determination to not give his wicket away, never left him.

He represented Hindus in the Bombay Pentangular/Quadrangular tournaments between 1929 and 1946, and Bombay in the Ranji Trophy (1933-1952).

"Bowl him six bad balls and he would hit every one for four. Bowl him six good ones and he would stop every one," an awed John Arlott once wrote.

Bradman, from 338 innings, scored 28, 067 first-class runs at an average of 95.14. Merchant, from 229 innings, scored 13, 248 runs at an average of 71.22. This remains the second highest first-class average, second only to that of Bradman. This, despite the fact that between 1929-30 and 1934-45, he, on an average, played four or five matches a year. We can only speculate what his record would have been if he had enjoyed the same amount of cricket as his contemporaries in England and Australia.

In the Ranji Trophy matches, he made 3,639 runs (98.75), including 16 centuries in only 47 innings.

Merchant represented India in the first home series against England (1933-34), scoring 178 runs in three matches. In England, in the wet summer of 1936, he was the best batsman on view from both the sides. He had an exceptional tour, averaging 47.00 in the Tests and 51.32 on the entire tour.

His classic batsmanship induced C B Fry to exclaim: "Let us paint him white and take him with us to Australia as an opener."

Merchant started his cricketing career as a No. 6 batsman but his marvellous technique and temperament allowed him to open the innings as well. And it was in his capacity as an opener that he played his best innings for India. His average at No. 6 was 29.67 from six innings, while opening the innings he averaged 56.75 from 12 visits to the crease.

In the second Test at Manchester, during the 1936 tour of England, Merchant opened with Mustaq Ali after England had compiled 571 in reply to India's first innings total of 203. Those were the precise number of runs (203) that Mushtaq Ali (112) and Vijay Merchant (114) put together (through 150 minutes) for India's first wicket in as fluent a rearguard action as any seen in the game.

Wisden named Merchant as one of it's five cricketers of the year for his performances on the 1936 tour, the second Indian after Nayadu to be so honoured.

The recognition meant a great deal to Merchant, who later wrote, "How much that meant to me few will ever realise."

His second tour of England in 1946 saw him carve out 2385 runs at 74.53 and he was acknowledged to have few equals in the art of batting on wet wickets.

For a batsman of his class and temperament, it is surprising that he appeared in only 10 Tests. The second World War ruined some of his crucial playing years. His career ended prematurely when he injured his shoulder while fielding against England in the Delhi Test of the 1951-52 series. Thus ended the career of the first, and possibly still the greatest, Indian batting superstar. He went on to become an administrator and writer before dying in his native Bombay in 1987.

Career Stats:
Tests Batting:

M	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct	St
10	18	0	859	154	47.72	3	3	7	0

First Class record

M	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct	St
150	234	46	13470	359*	71.64	45	52	115	0

Next: Vinoo Mankad

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