Hyderabadi author Ravi Kaza brings 150 years of Test cricket to the page

Hyderabad: For cricket fans, Howzzat! 150 Glorious Years, authored by Hyderabadi Ravi Kaza, could well be the book with a difference they should be looking for. Tracing the sport from its origins in 1876–77 to the Sesquicentennial Pink-Ball Test at the MCG in March 2027, the book offers a distinctive reading experience.

It is a non-linear book that allows readers to browse any chapter at random and move freely to whatever catches their interest next.

Printed in a large 165 × 245 mm format, the book was released by former DGP AK Khan. Set in classic Garamond to enhance readability, it features rich illustrations that provide a thoughtful visual balance. Limited to men’s Test and first-class cricket, the book has a foreword by Syed Akbaruddin, India’s representative at the UN and a former spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.

“The front cover celebrates the five Wisden Almanack Cricketers of the 20th Century, while the back cover features caricatures of India’s three highest run-getters and wicket-takers in Tests,” Ravi Kaza said.

“Through engaging stories and statistics, it offers readers a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of Test cricket’s laws and its most defining historical moments. The content is up to date as of September 30, 2026,” Ravi Kaza told Telangana Today.

“The trigger point came a few decades ago, when one had access to the internet to revalidate and authenticate the countless stories, myths and folklore one was exposed to. A chance encounter in 1995 with the late Martin Crowe, the stylish Kiwi batsman, convinced me that a compilation that demystifies myths and presents backstories and anecdotes bringing out the spirit of the glorious red-cherry game could make for a fascinating study,” he revealed.

“I have had the manuscript in various versions in soft form for more than two decades. I periodically upgraded and rewrote the content, adding more and more nuggets whenever I refocused on the project. Sometime in March 2026, I decided to finally convert these cumulative efforts into a collector’s item of cricket literature,” Ravi Kaza said.

“The book is curated into 56 sections, presenting the subject in a hitherto unseen format, with 40 commissioned illustrations. It is written in short paragraphs, keeping in mind the shrinking attention spans of the present day. It is designed to be picked up and read from anywhere, allowing readers to choose whichever title catches their curiosity,” Ravi Kaza pointed out.

Significantly, almost 95% of the nuggets presented in the book are likely to remain unchanged in the future. The author has also steered clear of controversies.