Himanshu Shekhar
Their can be no dispute on Sir Donald George Bradman’s century this time. Today on August 27th 2008 Don completes his 100th year, a score no statistician would dispute. As statisticians around the world plunge in the career spanning over two decades to scoop out the missing four runs, one thing is certain that their will never be another Don.
And if cricket scientist and sports researcher Charles Davis is to be believed, Don averages 100 and not 99.94. Writing in an Australian newspaper Davis said, “There are four runs attributed to Ryder that are in the wrong place in both the batting section of the score and in the bowling section.”
“There is no doubt that a recording error of some kind has occurred. So where do these runs belong?”
Davis surmises that either Ryder scored them at some other point of the innings, or they were not scored at all, or “just perhaps” Bradman scored them.
Bradman’s legendary status definitely cannot be restricted to his aggregate or strike rates but, for the respect he commanded and fear he inflicted among the bowlers he faced. He lived a simple philosophy which was ‘if ever you can’t get a four think of three, two or atleast a single.’
| Related Stories | ||||
|
||||
Echoing thoughts on Don’s persona Stephen Birkley of Independent writes; “It is irksome that Bradman will always stand alone, of course, because, as Bolt showed so marvellously, we want to improve on those who came before without at all deriding their achievements. That is the fun. But all studies of Bradman – and they are by now countless – point to his uniqueness.”
His uniqueness was such that English captain Douglas Jardine thought nothing else apart from employing his bowlers to target body in the ‘Bodyline Series’ of 1932-33. Jardine succeeded in what many referred as ‘bloody’ tactics but not before Don amassed an aggregate of 56.57 in the Test series.
Don’s highest score in a first class game was 452 not out after which an English newspaper* wrote “In a memorable day of run getting thrills, history was made at cricket ground. And Don who likes to dispense to others the champagne of cricket, went ahead in dressing room calmly drinking a cup of tea.”
“Outside his name was in every body’s mouth. Nothing was talked of but Bradman. And nothing mattered but Bradman.” Just perhaps nothing should matter until somebody scores 30 centuries in 59 Tests.
Don’s factoid:
*(With inputs from Sir Donald Bradman’s scrapbook as in The Bradman Digital Library in Southern Australia)
Career Statistics:
