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No single figure since WG Grace dominated the game more than Don Bradman. He left behind a legacy of exploits, which if ever challenged in the years to come, will require some very authentic arguments to convince even the challenger.
Four runs in his last innings would have given Don Bradman a Test aggregate of exactly 7,000 runs and an average of 100. He scored a century in every third innings in first class cricket and his 52 Tests for Australia produced 2 triple hundreds, 5 double hundreds and 22 centuries. He was once left short of partners at 299 in a Test against South Africa.
"His success," wrote Ray Robinson, "made a United States Air Force Communiqué seem like an understatement.
Men who passed Bradman's landmarks in later years never ceased to be awed by his staggering success.
When Greg Chappell inched ahead of his Test aggregate, he said, in reply to a reporter's query, that it was sacrilege to talk of overhauling Bradman.
John Inverarity confessed that breaking Bradman's Sheffield Shield aggregate made him feel humble. "I've just got to see the number of innings Sir Donald took," he said shaking his head.
When Sunil Gavaskar came off the field after becoming the highest Test century makers of all times, he shrugged it off with, "It's only an achievement, not a record.
The record will only be broken when someone scores 30 centuries in 52 Tests." Gavaskar's had taken 166 innings compared to Bradman's 79. (To be continued)
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