Laxmidas Jai

Figures lie in the case of some cricketers, and they certainly do in LP Jai's case. A stylish batsman who loved to play strokes, Jai's footwork was exemplary. For years he was a tower of strength to the Bombay batting and in a first-class career that spanned two decades he scored over 3000 runs at an average of a little over 31 with five centuries. But he played in only one Test, the first ever on Indian soil, against England at Bombay in 1933-34 scoring 19 and 0.

Jai was chosen for the 1932 tour of England, but he refused to make the trip on political grounds as most of the leaders of the National movement were in jail. He did finally make it to England in 1936 but early on the tour he suffered a broken finger and that was a major impediment. In later years, he served on the national selection committee and earned a name as a knowledgable and courageous selector.
Partab Ramchand