Donald Bradman is a former Australian batsman, a legend of cricket, and one of the most revered players in history. During his career, his batting redefined cricket and his brilliance confounded competitors. Despite all his accomplishments in the cricketing world, Sir Donald Bradman is considered to be among the greatest players of his generation.
There was a deep and undying love for cricket in his life, and he had an exceptional natural ability, too. As a squash or tennis or golf or billiards champion, he could have succeeded in those sports had he preferred them to cricket.
| Born: Aug 27, 1908 | Nationality: Australia |
| Years Active: (1928–1948) | Birth Place: Cootamundra, New South Wales |
| Death: Feb 25, 2001 (92 years) | Death Place: Kensington Park, Australia |
| Height: 5 ft 7 in | Role: Batsman |
| Batting Style: Right-Handed Bat | Bowling Style: Right-arm Leg-break |
| Nickname: The Don, The Boy from Bowral, Braddles, the White Headley |
Donald Bradman is the youngest of five children of George Bradman, farmer, and his wife Emily, née Whatman, both New South Wales born. Despite his love for cricket, his father George Bradman chose the profession of a carpenter to provide for his family.
In April 1932, Bradman married Jessie Martha Menzies. This couple was perfect for each other. Bradman had three children. Sadly, their firstborn son passed away in 1936; their second son, John (born in 1939), contracted polio; and their daughter, Shirley, born in 1941, had cerebral palsy from the start.
Bradman developed his own solo game of cricket in the beginning. He used a cricket stump as a bat and a golf ball. In the backyard of his house, there was a water tank mounted on a curved brick stand. By hitting the curves in the brick face of the stand, the ball would rebound at varying angles at high speeds, allowing him to develop his concentration and timing. The Australians use this legend as their folklore so that the next generation can learn more about this player.
However, he had a poor debut in the test against England at Brisbane in 1928, making just 19 runs. Despite a poor start, he recovered and finished the series with 468 runs at an average of more than 67.
The 1930 series between England and Bradman culminated in Bradman amassing 974 runs at an average of 139.14, including two double-hundreds and his career-highest score of 334.
Bradman surprised the world with his charismatic batting in the following years as he demonstrated the quality of his caliber in this series.
It is his Test cricket average of 99.94 that most accurately describes Bradman's career as a cricketer.
Over the course of 54 Test matches (80 innings), Bradman scored 6996 runs. During his time as a Test cricketer, he scored 29 centuries, which was a world record at the time.
As a batsman, he scored 13 half-centuries and 12 double hundred (the most of any batsman). A staggering 2.23 hundred-to-fifty ratio characterized Bradman's career. Two out of every three tests he took resulted in a hundred.
Because of World War 2, Bradman lost eight years of his career, which makes his statistics even more impressive. After the war, he averaged more than 105 in the 15 Tests that he played, and scored eight hundred.
It is his 961 points that make him the highest-rated test batsman in cricket history. Among all players in Test history, Bradman's 974 runs in a series are the most by any player.
Bradman missed most of his cricket career during the Second World War, and when he resumed in 1946, he was in poor health. In 1948, he toured England with a team that had such remarkable players that they were dubbed "The Invincibles".
As he stepped up to bat for the last time, he needed just four runs to reach his average of 100, but he was dismissed for a duck. It was such an amazing moment that cricket analysts and the general public referred to it as "God's Blob".
As a result of pneumonia, he passed away on February 25, 2001. While he may have died, he will be remembered as one of the greatest batsmen to ever play the game of cricket.
Sir Garfield set certain records that are still valid. He made a remarkable three hundred and sixty-five (365 not out) at the age of 21, which wasn't surpassed for 36 years. Brian Lara scored (375 not-out) points in 1994.
Sir Donald Bradman of Australia was, beyond any argument, the greatest batsman who ever lived and the greatest cricketer of the 20th century.
| ODI | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 52 | Run Scored: 6996 |
| Batting Average: 99.94 | Top Score: 334 |
| 100/50: 29/13 | Wickets: 2 |
| T20 | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 52 | Run Scored: 6996 |
| Batting Average: 99.94 | Top Score: 334 |
| 100/50: 29/13 | Wickets: 2 |
| Test | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 52 | Run Scored: 6996 |
| Batting Average: 99.94 | Top Score: 334 |
| 100/50: 29/13 | Wickets: 2 |
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
