The land down under has produced athletes of thunder (Part 4)
He played his first Test match just before the 1930’s, which was a five match Test series in Australia. Don created a personal record by becoming the youngest player to score a century, even though the Australian’s lost that match.
Next in line was the Ashes tour to England in the following year. The significance of the tour was not limited to sporting triumph but had other values and expectations attached to it due to the prevailing conditions back home for the visiting team. All
eyes were on Bradman to help them achieve glory in England.
Bradman started the tour with a bang. He scored a fabulous century in the second innings of the first match, but despite his personal efforts, Australia lost the game to England. His game further improved in the second match where he scored a special two
fifty plus runs, leading his team to tie the Ashes. It was super batting effort on his part, has Don Bradman practically controlled the ball majestically. It seemed as though 'the Don' just kept getting better and better each time he arrived at the crease.
In the third test, Bradman astonishingly scored a hundred within the first session on the first day of the match. Shockingly, he managed to add another hundred to his score in the second session. He was not done yet as bafflingly, the man went on to add
another century to his personal score, ending the first days play with an individual score of over 300 runs, and eventually superseding the previous record of 330 plus and making a new world record.
The match though ended sadly as rain washed out the remainder of the game. In the last game of the 1931 Ashes Series, fans and audience were enthralled by yet another double hundred, with Don becoming a national hero, whilst stamping his authority over the
English and retrieving the Ashes for his country. Don's sudden individual fame and popularity was overwhelming for him as he ended the tour with scoring only few runs shy of a thousand.
The forever legend, within the first year of his test match career had scored a dozen hundreds out of which six were double centuries, creating an unbelievable average of 130 plus in just 14 matches. He was recorded to score 45 runs after every 60 minutes,
just short of a run every minute. The way that Bradman played his cricket was the epitome of technique and finesse.
After a glorious career, Bradman had decided that his tour to Britain to play the 1948 Ashes was going to be his final tour on the field. As the captain, he had assembled one of the finest squads the world had ever seen. Australia played as though they were
absolutely Invincibles, which at the time became their alias. They literally destroyed the English side in each and every Test match they played in. Donald led his team to an undefeated Ashes run. Hence, for the first time in history, a team remained unbeaten
in all matches of a trip either at home or away.
The final Test saw the crowd giving him a welcome that was passionately deserved. Fans, critics, commentators or opposition teams, everyone in the ground acknowledged the fact that it was time for the genius and star to play his last international competitive
match. As Bradman walked on to the crease, the superstar had a career average of just above 100.
The very first delivery he faced was from a wrist spinner who amazingly deceived the legend and bowled him out for a duck. The crowd and surroundings seemed as though had gone mute for a couple of seconds. England went on to suffer an innings defeat which
meant that that the most talented sportsman of the century would not get a chance to bat again.
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