The 1935 Australian Cricket Tour of India

Megan Ponsford investigates the uneasy relationships between Australia, British India and Indian nationalism during the interwar period, using the 1935/36 tour as a case study.

Megan Ponsford's career as a documentary photographer took a sharp turn in 2005 when she located a box of long-forgotten archives whilst working at the Melbourne Cricket Club. This led to researching the first Australian cricket tour to India in 1935/36 which combined her greatest passions: cricket, photography, cultural history, travel, the subcontinent and family. Megan completed her PhD in 2016 and has subsequently published extensively.

1. Introduction 2. Bhupinder and Tarrant: players of the game 3. The has- beens and never will-bes 4. Who are these Australian fellows with 'Grim determination and astounding stamina'? 5. Neither home nor away 6. The launch of Indian- Australian cricket 7. Beer, banquets and a Patiala Peg: food and drink on tour 8. Photographic reportage and the colonial imaginary 9. The atmosphere vibrated with triumphant joy 10. Conclusion