Happy birthday to Late Sir Donald George Bradman known as Don Bradman. He played 52 tests for Australia over a career of 20 years from 1928-1948. He played his last test in August 1948 and got out for a famous duck, if ever there was one, and finished his career with 6996 runs in 70 innings at an average of 99.94. He was out for a duck on the fourth ball of his last test innings.
The average of 99.94 makes him human as 100 would have made him a GOD. He scored 18 & 1 runs in his first test and was dropped. But the next chance he got he grabbed it with both hands and raised his game to such levels that his captain Bill Woodfull said for him “He is batting at a level which makes him worth three batsmen to Australia”. Don’s batting style was such that he could make runs at a rapid rate for those times.
Sir Don Bradman was away from 🏏 for several years due to World War II, yet has the highest Test batting average.
Today, with concerns about athletes’ form due to uncertainties & long breaks, his career stands even taller as a source of inspiration.
Happy birthday Sir Don. pic.twitter.com/Q735mlJMvk
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 27, 2020
For a period he averaged 42 runs/hour. To curb his short making England used bodyline tactics to disturb him in 1932-33 Ashes. England Captain Douglas Jardine told his bowlers, Harold Larwood & Bill Voice.to bowl bouncers from round the wicket and kept 7 fielders on on-side. These tactics were not welcomed and Aussies captain Woodful l said: “there are two teams out there and only one is playing”. Bradman was not the same free-scoring batsman but still, find ways of scoring the runs by hitting to vacant outfield parts by playing tennis or golf shots.
Bradman did not play the first test, was out the first ball in first innings of next test (the only time in his career), but still managed to score 397 runs at an average of 58. Prior to the start of 1932-33 series, a London newspaper quoted for him “As long as Bradman is in Aussies they are invincible, it’s almost time to put a legal limit on a number of runs Bradman should be allowed to make.
In one of his innings he was batting on 200 +, he said in his mind that bowler would bowl a short ball on leg stump and at point of delivery, he exposed his stumps, the ball landed where he anticipated and he pulled the shot through fine leg for a boundary. The video was often showed on “Cricket Classics” trailer and gave goosebumps.
A famous journalist said to him that his previous score at Sydney is 334 and the law of averages was against such score. Bradman told a journalist “He does not believe in Law of Averages” and scored 304 runs.
Bradman scored 12 double centuries but hit only 6 sixes. He said, “If you hit along the ground you would not ever get caught”. His record of average looks unbeatable and will remain the benchmark which will be set to achieve but would not be achieved ever.
One last line that has been said about Bradman
“Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties unless you are a Bradman”
