User:Tintin1107/Naoomal

Naoomal Jaoomal Makhija (born on April 17, 1904, Karachi - died on July 28, 1980, Bombay) was India's first opening batsman in Test cricket

Naoomal scored 33 and 25 opening India's innings in their first ever Test, at Lord's in 1932. He also shared reasonable stands of 39 and 41 with his opening partner Janardan Navle in the two innings. Naoomal was dimunitve, defensive batsman who strong point was the cut. He made 1297 runs in the tour. Wisden also had a few nice words for his fielding.

When England returned the visit in 1933-34, Jeoomal missed the first Test. He scored 2 and 43 at Calcutta but in Madras, he was hit on the face by Nobby Clark. The injury ended his innings and his Test career.

His highest score in first class cricket was a 203* scored in four and a half hours for Sind against Nawanagar in 1938-39. The Sind total of 326 was then a world record for the lowest first class score to include a double hundred.

He coached Pakistan in the late 1950s. He was one of the oldest players to attend the Golden Jubilee Test in 1980 to mark the fiftieth year of the BCCI.

Note : Naoomal's obituaries in Wisden Almanack and Wisden Cricket Monthly both give his date of death as July 18.