India's first Test series win in England in 1971 was epic and magical, with a resonance far beyond the scorecards. The cricket was riveting, with twists and turns right up to the last ball, and the excitement was garnished by a baby elephant parading the outfield of The Oval on the final day. The victory had immense significance for a country that had gained independence from Britain less than 25 years earlier and was tottering on the brink of a history-defining war. In the background were the British illusions of moral and cultural superiority even as decolonisation went through its final phase. The Indians often accepted these illusions as they struggled for the most basic necessities of life, battling against poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy. Thus, the victory provided a major equaliser for the national psyche. Elephant in the Stadium examines the many reasons for the myth and magic that still surround the triumph, including the complex historical relationship between Britain and India.

"

"Superb book... style is effortless and the narrative agile... This is not a sanitised version of history nor one that is made superficially attractive. Sengupta produces a means of seeing history differently."

"

"Brilliant... a very full read."

"

"It was a quiet year for cricket books, but arguably the best is Elephant in the Stadium, by Arunabha Sengupta, which is a social history and as much about the legacy of colonialism as it is about India's first Test series win in England in 1971."

"

"Meticulously researched, bravely written. Anyone wanting a definitive history of India alongside her cricket should look no further than this book."

"

"Sengupta's prose is so commanding there were times when this reviewer felt he was among the crowd on overcast dimly lit English days watching India's triumph. The book is also a first-class history of post-War India."

"

"The crucial Test is brilliantly brought to life [in a] book certain to challenge a few views. [It] will make us consider other views through the less comfortable end of the telescope."

"

"Should be widely read, in India, throughout the British islands and the rest of the English speaking world."