M.M. Jagdale – Where are they now?

Given the man’s flair for vivid description,expressive gestures and photographic memory, it’s sheer delight treading down the memory lane with Madansingh Madhavrao Jagdale. One of the pillars of the all-conquering Holkar tearn in the forties and the fifties. The doyen on Indian cricket.

Ironically enough. he was baptised to the sport by His Highness Holkar of Indore some time during the First World War. He had accompanied his father. an ardent follower of the sport, to a match. It was there that the Maharaja of Indore had introduced him to the game and also presented young Jagdale with a bat along with five gold coins for sweets.

Jagdale’s schooldays saw him develop into a fine sportsman. Excelling in hockey. Football, cricket, volleyball and athletics. However, his graduation to the college level saw him taking to cricket seriously. `With the patronage of HH Tukajirao, guidance of Col Nayudu and friendship with Mushtaq Ali and C.S. Nayadu, where else could I be but at a cricket field.’ says Jagdale nostalgically.

Statistics, like bikini, often conceal the vital revealing only the trivia. Though the record book do not speak much of Jagdale. but those who have seen him in action in the heyday put him as a distinct inheritor of CK Style. Hard hitting. Aggressive, playing-to-the-stands kind of batting thrown along with an ability to swing the arm as an effective `shock’ bowler. Jagdale played Ranji Trophy for Central India and later for Holkar. He performed well against Jardine’s Englishmen. However. He didn’t find a place in the Indian squad for England in 1936.

He did visit England the following year with His Highness of Baroda and played admirably.

So impressed was the Essex captain Conrad Baker that he wrote to Robins, the then MCC captain. `I can say with certainity that Jagdale is as good a bat as Pataudi, and a better medium fast bowler than Jehangir Khan’ Once again. His destiny played a cruel joke on him with another accident forcing him to return to India.

Jagdale was with the cavalry as a captain. His elevation to the rank of Major came in 1945 – not after a war, but a cricket match. `For the Holkar – Baroda final at Indore. His Highness announced lucrative prizes for all those who as bowler or fielder, got any bastman out. At the end of the match. His Highness looked in my direction and called `Major Saheb’ I turned and looked around. There was no Major around. It was then I realised that he had promoted me to the rank of Major.’

In 1954, following the merger of the princely states to the union, the Holkar team was disbanded and so was Jagdale’s career. `After playing under His Highness Holkar. I could not motivate myself to play under any other banner. It may be called as loyalty or anything – but that was it.’ Having played over 70 innings in the Ranji Trophy. Jagdale had scored 2282 runs with two tons and 13 half-centuries, also having claimed 53 wickets at 34.6 apiece.

The tenure of `Baba Saheb’ as a national selector coincided with the glorious period of Indian Cricket. Possibly `the best three years that we ever had.’ and ended just before the nightmare that was 1974.

To share the memories and glory that was the past or delve into the hope that is the future. or may be just share a cigarette which he is so fond of – at Bala Saheb’s house. You are always welcome.