For the first Test against Australia at Lord’s in the 1896 series, Ranji had not been selected by MCC, the ground authority. It was not until 1899 that England had official selectors. For the second Test at Old Trafford, Lancashire CCC, as the ground authority, picked Ranji on the grounds that he was qualified after attending Cambridge University – although he did not win a Blue in his first two years, through racial discrimination – and representing Sussex.

Ranji did not disappoint. It was arguably the most brilliant Test debut anyone has made. In his first innings, entering at number three after WG had been dismissed cheaply, he scored 62. In his second, when England were following on, he was unbeaten on 41 at the start of day three (the last day), and scored 113 in 130 minutes before lunch, almost unsupported. Australia won, just, by three wickets.

It is therefore wonderful that the first action-film footage in cricket is that of Ranji batting in the nets in Sydney, after he had been selected for England’s 1897-98 tour of Australia. He was an overnight sensation Down Under after hitting 175 in the opening Test, when not fully recovered from a bout of quinsy.

The original cinematograph film shows Ranji hitting about 10 balls at net-practice. He lifts his bat up until it points almost vertically to the sky, like all the most brilliant stroke-players have done down to Sir Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara, and he has very fast hands.

For a more detailed analysis of Ranji’s technique, I questioned Kerry O’Keefe, the former Australian leg-spinner and now a TV commentator who specialises in analysing technique. “High pick-up of bat,” he noted. “Picked it to third slip. Hands together when driving off the front foot. Bottom hand slides to base of the handle for defence. Out bowled in 43 per cent of his Test dismissals, that’s too frequent but typical of the day, I suspect.”

Yes indeed, Australia’s brisk finger-spinners caught up with Ranji in the 1902 Ashes series, when he had to be dropped after three Tests on damp pitches and was never selected again, partly because he was back in India, and involved in politics, trying to become the next Jam Sahib of Nawanagar.

Even so, Ranji scored 989 Test runs for England at an average of 44.95, the highest Test average to that point. It is marvellous that we can still have a taste of his batsmanship that so dazzled Grace and his contemporaries.