▁of ▁the ▁tour , ▁he ▁wrote ▁an ▁open ▁letter ▁to ▁m end ▁his ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Australian ▁public , ▁but ▁in ▁With ▁St od ard ' s ▁team ▁in ▁Australia , ▁he ▁wrote ▁of ▁the ▁" reg rett able " ▁incident ▁of ▁" mer cil ess ", ▁" un com pl iment ary ▁and ▁ins ult ing " ▁bar rack ing . ▁ ▁Cr icket ing ▁peak ▁and ▁decl ine ▁ ▁Return ▁to ▁India ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁St od dart ' s ▁cr icket ▁team ▁returned ▁to ▁England ▁via ▁Col om bo . ▁On ▁arrival ▁there , ▁Ran j its in h ji ▁left ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁India ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁purs uing ▁his ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁of ▁N aw an agar . ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁year ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁return ▁to ▁England ▁until ▁March ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁Initial ly , ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁establish ▁support ▁for ▁his ▁claim , ▁including ▁his ▁argument ▁that ▁J ass aj i ▁was ▁il leg it imate , ▁among ▁the ▁Indian ▁princes . ▁Later , ▁he ▁met ▁Pr at ap ▁Singh , ▁who ▁had ▁arranged ▁for ▁Ran j its in h ji ▁to ▁receive ▁an ▁honor ary ▁state ▁appointment ▁with ▁an ▁associated ▁income . ▁Pr at ap ▁Singh ▁also ▁introduced ▁him ▁to ▁Raj inder ▁Singh , ▁the ▁Mah ar aja ▁of ▁Pat ial a , ▁a ▁very ▁wealth y ▁individual . ▁Raj inder ▁was ▁very ▁pro - B rit ish