Amarnath, on his
part, was unstinted in his praise for Bradman. He wrote in The Sportstar: “I am yet to see another Bradman. Probably none
would in the times to come. When people make comparisons between Bradman and
others, I laugh. Such was Bradman’s mastery that even Test cricket was One-day
cricket for him. Has anyone made 300 in a day in a Test? So please don’t insult
The Don by making silly comparisons. I know he never came to India
Regarding the
characteristics of Bradman’s batting, Amarnath observed: “Bradman’s eyesight
was remarkable. He would spot the ball so easily, when batting or fielding.
Bradman was essentially a back-foot player. And an absolute delight to watch.
Among the shots he played, the pull obviously was the most outstanding. He
could pull any ball from anywhere, even those going away on the off-stump. His
square-cut came from the middle of the bat and the speed with which the ball
travelled to the boundary was amazing. I remember in the first Test at Brisbane
Hazare referred to
Bradman’s tendency to often run, or jog, back to the pavilion after being
dismissed. In an article in The Week,
Hazare stated: “Whenever he got out, he always used to run to the pavilion! He
never questioned the umpire’s decision. Most of the time he started running to
the pavilion even before the umpire’s finger went up. We didn’t find him
getting angry on the field. He was a cool person. He didn’t want to waste
energy on anger.” Bradman’s exit was quite in contrast to his entry towards the
crease. Then he would walk in slowly, collecting his thoughts, taking in the
atmosphere, getting used to the light. When his job was done he would depart
hurriedly, getting away from the heat of battle to relax and rejuvenate in the
dressing room.
Sarwate spoke more
about the personal qualities of Bradman. He said in The Sportstar: “He was a great tactician, a great captain. But he
was also a great sportsman, a perfect gentleman and a true ambassador for
cricket. I have not seen many opponents appreciating a good stroke or a good
ball. The Don always had nice words if you played a good shot or bowled a good
ball to him. Signs of a good sportsman who appreciates a good act and it did
not really matter to him if the player was on his side or the other.”
Sarwate also recalled
in The Week, “Don was very confident
but not arrogant and that was the way he behaved with us. He never tried to
show that they were playing against a very inferior side.” All this may sound
bizarre and outlandish in the modern age of sledging. True, this is a very
different era, of cut-throat commercialism, but abuse on the field is certainly
a bane of present-day cricket. If players find it difficult to be gentlemanly
nowadays, they should at least refrain from being loutish, particularly in this
electronic age when impressionable minds watching on live television are quick
to imbibe crass behaviour as being an acceptable way of life.
Equally effusive in
his appreciation of The Don, C.S. Nayudu also told The Sportstar: “As a cricketer he had no match and he was simply a
lovable character as a down-to-earth human being. I know people said he was
aloof at times, but we all found him such an easily approachable man.” The
verdict was unanimous. Bradman and the Indians got along very well.
(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted
on email singh_iv@hotmail.com. Follow Indra Vikram Singh on Twitter
@IVRajpipla).
Don’s Century
Published by Sporting Links
ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0, Fully Illustrated
French Fold 21.5 cm x 28 cm, 188 Pages
Price Rupees 995
Indra Vikram Singh’s latest books published
by Sporting Links:
A Maharaja’s Turf ISBN
978-81-901668-3-6
The Big Book of World Cup
Cricket ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3
Don’s Century ISBN
978-81-901668-5-0
Crowning Glory ISBN
978-81-901668-6-7
Distributed in India by: Variety Book
Depot, AVG Bhawan, M-3 Middle Circle, Connaught Circus, New
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