Product Details
FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF THE NINTH NAWAB OF PATAUDI
CHARLES HELLIS & SONS
A 12-BORE (CROSSOVER) SIDELOCK EJECTOR, serial no. 3692,
28in. nitro reproved barrels, rib engraved 'CHARLES HELLIS & SONS. 119 EDGEWARE ROAD. HYDE PARK. LONDON. W.', 2 3/4in. chambers, bored approx. true cyl. and 1/2 choke, treble-grip action, toplever engraved '2', automatic safety with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, border engraving, retaining traces of original colour-hardening, 14 7/8in. full crossover replacement stock, lockplates and furniture also swept, including 5/8in. rubber recoil pad, weight 6lb. 15oz., in a pigskin leather case
Provenance: Mansur Ali Khan, popularly known as 'Tiger' Pataudi was born in Bhopal, January 1941 to the eighth Nawab of Pataudi and his wife Sajida Sultan, second daughter of the last Nawab of Bhopal. Khan was the ninth and last Nawab of Pataudi as the title was abolished under Ghandi's amendments to the Constitution of India. He succeeded to the title on his eleventh birthday when his father died in a tragic accident while playing polo.
He began his schooling in India before being sent to Winchester College, and then went up to Balliol College, Oxford. He had shown great promise as a cricketer and was fortunate in being coached by Frank Woolley when at prep' school in Hertfordshire. He became a batting prodigy during his time at Winchester and in 1959 as captain of the First XI, he took the school's record after scoring 1,068 runs that season. He also won the Public Schools Rackets Championship partnered by Christopher Snell.
While only sixteen Khan made his first-class debut when he turned out for Sussex and later played for Oxford during his time there. In July 1961 he was involved in a car crash that led to his right eye being permanently damaged. It was thought that the injury would end a blossoming career but Khan would have none of it and only six months later made his Test debut in Delhi, December 1961 against the English tourists. India won the Test (her first series win against England) partly aided by Khan scoring 103 in the Third Test in Madras. The following year, after a brief spell as vice-captain he was appointed captain of India, a record for the youngest captain of a Test side. He went on to play in 46 Test matches (40 as captain) between 1961 and 1972 with a batting average of 34.91, including 6 Test centuries.
He also played 137 first-class matches for Sussex scoring 3,054 at an average of 22.29. He was made Indian Cricketer of the Year in 1962 and Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968. In 2007, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's Test debut, the M.C.C. commissioned a trophy for a Test match series between England and India which was named the Pataudi Trophy in honour of Khan's father, the 8th Nawab.
Mansur Ali Khan died 22nd September 2011 at New Delhi and was buried at Pataudi the following day after a funeral attended by a great number of the cricketing fraternity as well as members of the film industry (he wife being an actress).
Estimate £1,000-1,500
S2