LP Jai

LP Jai Biography

LP Jai’s fans included Charlie Macartney, Duleepsinhji, and Vijay Merchant. Merchant, in particular, called him his ‘guru’, despite the fact that Jai had never coached the great man. Merchant insisted that he had learned to bat watching Jai at the crease, and was particularly vocal on Jai’s talent during his stints for All India Radio.

Being a genius often comes with its problems, and with Jai it was no different. He scored dazzling fifties and threw them away because he got bored. Merchant assessed that Jai had multiple responses to every ball, and often got out because he was left with the problem of plenty.

A career record of 3,231 runs at 32 hardly does justice to Jai’s immense talent. But then, with Jai, it was always like that: he strode on to the ground at an alarmingly quick pace, took guard, never looked at the field (he had already done that from the pavilion), and got after the bowler from the first ball.

Jai had an incredible run for Hindus (434 runs at 86.20) in the Bombay Quadrangular before Arthur Gilligan’s MCC toured India in 1926-27. The tour was not a success for Jai, but the deluge of runs continued in the Quadrangular and bank cricket. If one goes by Vasant Raiji, Jai scored 497 runs from 3 innings in 6 days in September 1927.

He played for Bombay Gymkhana, who boycotted India’s 1932 tour of England. Jai, along with Merchant and Champak Mehta, opted out of the tour. He played one Test (at Bombay) when England paid a return visit, scoring 19 and 0.

Jai continued to remain a prominent, respectable figure in Indian cricket. He played along Learie Constantine in Moin-ud-Dowlah. When Constantine unleashed a ferocious bouncer barrage on a matting wicket, Jai did not hesitate to dish out a verbal dose to the West Indian legend. It worked.

Jai also led Bombay to the first ever Ranji Trophy. He also led the Hindus, and scored 59 and 115 when Jack Ryder’s Australians played Bombay. He toured England in 1936, but a broken finger meant his tour was cut short.

After retirement, Jai dominated the billiards circuit of Bombay, winning the title at Hindu Gymkhana for 11 consecutive years before he retired to give youngsters a chance. He was also a renowned amateur photographer and philatelist, and served as a National Selector.

Abhishek Mukherjee

LP Jai Batting & Fielding Averages

Career

Avg

100s

50s

Test

ODIs

T20s

World Cup

LP Jai Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
ODIs	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--