In colonial Bombay, cricket was organised along religious lines through the Quadrangular and later Pentangular, where Hindus, Muslims, Parsees, Europeans and “The Rest” competed as communal teams. Yet two rivals from this system, Muslim fast bowler Mohammad Nissar and Hindu all‑rounder Amar Singh, transcended those divides to share India’s first new‑ball partnership in the historic 1932 Lord’s Test.
LONG BEFORE the glamour of Indian Premier League, the prestige of Ranji Trophy, or even the notion of a National Cricket Team, there was a time when some of the country's biggest cricket matches were not fought between states or cities, but on religion. The tradition of Bombay Quadrangular Tournament (later known as Bombay Pentangular) continued for nearly four decades. It was one of India's biggest domestic cricket tournaments, dividing teams on the basis of religion.
Hindus played against Muslims, Parsees faced Europeans, and later, Christians, Jews, Anglo-Indians and other communities formed another side. Yet, despite these divisions, cricket also produced stories that rose above them. One such story belongs to Mohammad Nissar (1910-1963) and Ladhabhai Nakum Amar Singh (1910-1940).
In the Bombay tournament they often found themselves on opposite sides because of the Bombay Pentangular's communal format. But when India stepped onto the international stage for its first-ever Test match in 1932, the two fast bowlers shared the opening spell for the country.
According to historical records and archives, organized cricket in Bombay began during the British Raj when Europeans dominated the sport. The first major rivalry began between European teams and the Parsee community, which had embraced cricket much earlier than other Indian communities.
The Parsees established the Parsee Gymkhana and even toured England in 1886 and 1888. In 1892, Bombay witnessed the first first-class cricket match on Indian soil between a Parsee side and a combined European XI. It is reported that heavy rains flooded the ground so badly that fire engines had to be used to remove the water before play could continue.
As more Indians entered the sport, the Bombay cricket scene also grew. The Hindu Gymkhana joined the tournament in 1907, creating what became known as the Bombay Triangular, featuring Europeans, Parsees and Hindus. After Five years, in 1912, the Mohammedan Gymkhana entered the tournament, turning it into the famous Bombay Quadrangular. From then on, these four teams, divided on religion, competed every year.
According to Indian cricket records and academic studies cited by the International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), players' selection was largely based on communal identity rather than geography. It reflected the British colonial administration's broader policy of categorizing Indians along religious lines.
By the late 1930s, another team called "The Rest" was added. It included Christians, Jews, Anglo-Indians, and players from communities not represented in the four major teams. The tournament then became known as the Bombay Pentangular. The tournament became one of the biggest sporting events in the country. Local businesses flourished on match days as crowd gathered to watch the matches in Bombay Maidan. The rivalry between Hindu and Muslim teams particularly attracted enormous public interest, what one may call a predecessor to India-Pakistan matches.
But while the cricket was exciting, many national leaders had reservations. According to historical reports, as reported by Scroll, several freedom movement leaders argued that organizing cricket on religious lines only deepened communal divisions at a time when India was fighting for independence. Mahatma Gandhi was one of them, questioning whether such tournaments should continue during the politically sensitive years of World War II (1939-1945)
The Bombay Pentangular produced many outstanding cricketers, but few stories capture its contradictions better than those of Mohammad Nissar and Amar Singh.
According to ESPNcricinfo records, Mohammad Nissar was born in Punjab in 1910 and became one of the fastest bowlers India had ever produced. At a time when genuine pace bowling was extremely rare in Indian cricket, Nissar frightened batsmen with his speed and aggression. Representing the Muslims team in the Quadrangular and later the Pentangular, he regularly picked up wickets and established himself as one of the country's premier bowlers.
On the other side stood Ladhabhai Nakum Amar Singh. Born in Rajkot in present-day Gujarat in 1910, Amar Singh represented the Hindus team in the tournament. According to cricket archives, he was an outstanding fast-medium bowler who could swing the ball both ways while also contributing valuable runs lower down the batting order.
His performances in domestic cricket were remarkable. In one first-class season, Amar Singh reportedly claimed more than 100 wickets while making useful contributions with the bat as well. His stamina and consistency made him one of India's finest all-rounders during that period.
Whenever Hindus met Muslims in the Bombay tournament, Nissar and Amar Singh found themselves playing against each other. But when India prepared for its historic first Test tour of England in 1932, selectors ignored communal identities and picked the country's best cricketers. Both Nissar and Amar Singh made the squad as the rivals became teammates set to create history
India's first Test match began at Lord's in June 1932. It was a historic occasion, and Mohammad Nissar created history as he bowled the very first delivery ever bowled by India in Test cricket.
According to ESPNcricinfo statistics and historical match records, Nissar produced a sensational spell of fast bowling and finished with five wickets in England's first innings. His pace surprised English batsmen and even impressed the British media, which praised India's opening bowling attack.
At the other end was Amar Singh, an equally lethal pace bowler. Together, both of them formed India's first-ever new-ball partnership in Test cricket.
Amar Singh was also a crucial all-rounder for his team, making history with the bat. Batting at No. 9, Singh scored a fighting 51, becoming the first Indian player to register a Test half-century. It was a bold innings at a time when India's batting was struggling against England's experienced bowlers.
Although India eventually lost the match, the performances of Nissar and Amar Singh earned respect from cricket observers in England. For a country playing its first-ever Test, India's fast bowling attack shocked the world.
Over the following years, both continued representing India. According to official career records, Nissar played six Test matches and picked up 25 wickets, maintaining his reputation as one of the quickest bowlers of his era. Meanwhile, Amar Singh appeared in seven Tests, scoring 292 runs at an average above 22 while also taking 28 wickets. One of his finest bowling performances came against England in Madras, where he claimed seven wickets in an innings.
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His first-class record was even more impressive. Amar Singh finished with 506 wickets in just 92 first-class matches while also scoring five centuries. Sadly, his career ended far too early. In 1940, Amar Singh died of typhoid fever at a young age of 29 years and Indian cricket lost its finest all-rounders.
Nissar continued playing first-class cricket for several more years. After Partition in 1947, he went on to represent Pakistan in domestic cricket and finished his first-class career with 396 wickets at an average of around 17.
The story of the Bombay Tournament is both inspiring and uncomfortable. On one hand, it created one of the strongest domestic cricket competitions of its time and helped produce legendary players but at the same time, it also reflected the religious divisions that existed under British colonial rule. According to cricket historians, the eventual rise of the Ranji Trophy marked an important shift in Indian cricket. Instead of representing religion, players began representing regions and states. Merit gradually became more important than communal identity.
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