Two classic books by Indra Vikram Singh available on Amazon at attractive prices

 

A Maharaja's Turf

Collector’s edition on the triumph of Maharaja Shri Vijaysinhji

of Rajpipla in the Epsom Derby of England in 1934

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-3-6

Fully Illustrated

Hardcover with jacket 8.75 x 11.5 x 0.6 inches (landscape)

Weight 500 grams

140 Pages

Available at an attractive price on Amazon  https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166832

This is the story of the exhilarating victory of Maharaja Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla in the Epsom Derby of England in 1934, the only Indian owner to win the blue riband of the turf in its history dating back to 1780. The dapper Indian prince’s horse Windsor Lad, ridden by Charlie Smirke, left the hitherto undefeated favourite Colombo trailing in third place in the presence of royalty led by King George V and Queen Mary, and a multitude of an estimated quarter to half a million people on that damp afternoon of 6th June. The triumph earned the Maharaja a unique hat-trick of Derby victories as he had already clinched the first Indian Derby at Calcutta in 1919 with his horse Tipster, and the Irish Derby at Curragh in 1926 with Embargo.

Trained by Marcus Marsh, Windsor Lad went on to be rated as one of the finest horses of the 20^th century. Marcus Marsh’s father, Richard, had trained Derby-winning horses for the then reigning King George V and the late King Edward VII.  

The enthralling tale recounted by the Maharaja’s grandson Indra Vikram Singh offers an insider's insight, and is embellished with rare media photographs of the race and from the Rajpipla royal family collection over many generations. It has been extensively researched from about 80 newspapers and magazines of 1934, five books and websites, and carries articles by the Maharaja himself. There are news reports, cartoons and caricatures which open out a whole new world. Featured are the British royal family, the Aga Khan, Maharaja Man Singh II of Jaipur and the leading racehorses, owners, trainers and jockeys of the day, among other eminent personalities.

The book captures the era between the two World Wars, of imperial times and a royal lifestyle, also going back centuries into history, connecting the past and the present and depicting the march of time, even as the thrilling race remains the central theme. It unfolds the tale of the uncanny prophesy of Gipsy Lee, the several coincidences around the number 13, the defeat of a 'super-horse', and the unrelenting quest of a prince to realise his dream that is bound to keep the reader transfixed.

Don’s Century 

Biography of Don Bradman

and a panaroma of batting from the 1860s to the present times

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0

Fully illustrated

Paperback French Fold 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches

Weight 480 grams

188 pages  

Available at an attractive price on Amazon  https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166859 

The questions still asked are: how great was Don Bradman actually, was he just a run-getting machine and a statistical marvel, or was he truly the best there has ever been, have there been other batsmen as good or better than Bradman. Don’s Century analyses Bradman’s batting technique, brings forth his amazing achievements at the crease, and assesses the merits of other great batsmen from the 1860s to the present times. Written in the centenary year of the peerless Don Bradman, the book is a celebration of the life and magic of the willow of The Don, and also of the art of batting and indeed the game of cricket. 

The 11-chapter book by Indra Vikram Singh, the only Indian biographer of Bradman, interspersed with stories and comments from legendary writers and cricketers alike, and extensively researched from scores of old publications, has three sections.

The main segment showcases Bradman's days at the crease from Bowral to Sydney, on to Lord's and Leeds, back to Adelaide, and finishing at The Oval in 1948. The legend begins with young Don’s rise to the top, his first fifty and hundred in the backwaters of Bowral, the maiden double century against Wingello and triple ton versus Moss Vale, hundred on first-class debut and on to Test cricket. Bradman’s legendary feats in the Test arena are recalled in all their magnificence, the hundreds in his first Test series, the unprecedented and still-unparalleled triumphs of the Ashes tour of 1930, and annihilation of the West Indies and South African teams.

The saga undergoes a dramatic twist with the vicious Bodyline attack that was devised solely to decimate the genius of Bradman. This chapter carries extracts from letters received by the author from England’s Bob Wyatt who was vice captain to Douglas Jardine during that infamous series.

The aftermath of Bodyline, Bradman’s exhilarating fightbacks on and off the field, how his stirring deeds brought solace to the suffering millions during the Great Depression, and his resilience as captain of Australia are presented lucidly, leading to the sabbatical brought about by the Second World War. The final lap of The Don’s career after the war, the firm hold on the Ashes, his exploits against the first Indian team after the nation’s independence, and finally the 1948 tour of England by his ‘Invincibles’ are described vividly and objectively. The text is supplemented by twenty scorecards detailing Bradman’s finest achievements in the first-class and Test arenas.

A large chapter in the middle is a panorama of batting portraying thirty-four of the best players down the ages, for no story of Sir Donald Bradman can be complete without an appraisal of other giants of the crease.

Commencing with the colossus of the Victorian era Dr. W.G. Grace, the captivating genius Prince Ranjitsinhji, the endearing and enthralling Victor Trumper from Australia, the complete master Sir Jack Hobbs, continuing with the likes of Frank Woolley, Charles 'Governor General' Macartney, Bill Ponsford, Walter Hammond, Stan McCabe, the forbear to West Indies giants George Headley, the brilliant South Africans Bruce Mitchell and Dudley Nourse, India’s Vijay Merchant, Sir Leonard Hutton, Dennis Compton, Neil Harvey, Arthur Morris, the inimitable Ws Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes and Sir Clyde Walcott, the original little master Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad, the incomparable Sir Garfield Sobers, Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, Sir Vivian Richards, arguably New Zealand’s finest Martin Crowe, Steve Waugh, the exhilarating Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva, and concluding with the champions of the modern era Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden, and many more referred to down history, how good they were, and how they compared with each other and Bradman.

They include some of Bradman's favourite players. This is not just a factual or statistical segment, but importantly talks about the epochs and conditions they played in, and also has interesting little tales. It traces the evolution and development of the game from W.G. Grace’s days in the 1860s till the present day.

The third and concluding part explores the vicissitudes of Bradman’s life, trials and tribulations, his persona, way of life and quest for excellence, the detractors, friends and family, post-retirement days and role as cricket administrator, and the final stretch of one of the most amazing stories ever, of a sporting hero and icon beyond compare. A handwritten letter from The Don received by the author Indra Vikram Singh in 1999, and an article based on it that he wrote at Bradman’s demise in 2001, are all featured in this tribute to the unquestioned king of kings of the crease.

There are nearly 100 classic photographs of Bradman and other greats in sepia brown from the top agencies of the world. A comprehensive statistics section highlighting Bradman’s accomplishments and records sums up the inspirational tale. A detailed index makes the book extremely user-friendly.

Indra Vikram Singh's books available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.in/s?k=Indra+Vikram+Singh&i=stripbooks&rh=p_6%3AA3HSV0N9AV7NOK&dc&qid=1602408830&rnid=1318474031&ref=sr_nr_p_6_1

Don Bradman, the only captain to win a five-Test series after being down 0-2. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘Don’s Century’

After a near-death experience at the end of the tour to England in 1934, Don Bradman appeared on the Test arena only in the home Ashes series in 1936-37 as captain.  Australia promptly lost the first two Tests and there were question marks over his own form too. Reproduced below are excerpts from my book ‘Don’s Century’ about this landmark series, which saw a feat that has never been repeated again:  

Bradman was due to appear for South Australia in 1934-35 as he had taken up employment in Adelaide. But this serious illness caused him to miss the entire season which he spent in convalescence. He also opted out of the tour to South Africa in 1935-36. Happily, though, not only did he begin to play for, and captain, South Australia, but was also back to his usual run-making ways. To give but one example of the ‘Bradman effect’, collections from the turnstiles at the Adelaide Oval soared by more than a hundred percent, whereas the receipts at the Sydney Cricket Ground, his erstwhile home venue, plummeted to half.

The Don blazed to 357 against Victoria, and 369 versus Tasmania. In eight first-class matches during the season he notched up 1173 runs at an average of 130.33 with 4 hundreds. South Australia lifted the Sheffield Shield, being unbeaten through the season. There was a huge sigh of relief and a yelp of joy from his legion of fans. The reconditioned run machine, serviced, oiled and tuned, was again cruising effortlessly in overdrive.

This was indeed a new era. Bradman was named captain of Australia for the 1936-37 Ashes series at home. It was a new look side with the stalwarts of the past decade and more, including the two previous skippers Woodfull and Richardson, top-quality strokeplayers Ponsford and Kippax, the great leg-spinner Grimmett (who blamed Bradman for having him dropped) and paceman Wall, gone. That was a combined experience of 160 Tests, no mean figure considering that Test matches were not played so frequently then. Leading England was The Don’s good friend, the genial Gubby Allen, who was also knighted later for his services to cricket.

Bradman became the first captain to win a five-Test series after being down 0-2. It was a titanic struggle, a tribute to his amazing batting skills, concentration and determination, strength of mind and acumen. He led from the front, sweeping aside the English advance like a raging tornado, stamping his suzerainty with knocks of 270, 212 and 169 in the last three victorious Tests. All this, while leading a depleted side with many untested youngsters, himself returning to the Test arena after a near-death experience. What would you call that, if not one of the most inspiring stories of the sporting arena? Bradman was a fighter all the way. As he said in an interview at the end of his career, “I can never remember taking the field in any match without setting out to win.” He had now firmly entrenched himself as The Don of cricket, unquestionably and irrevocably.

To those who hold the view that statistics are misleading, one would only suggest that they take a look at the figures of this series, and Bradman’s batting record in particular. His aggregate of 810 is still the highest by a captain in a Test series. Nobody else on either side got to 500, and that included the likes of McCabe, Hammond and Leyland. After Bradman’s average of 90, these three luminaries registered between 58.50 and 54.55 per innings. That really sums up the mark Bradman left on the series, and the game as a whole. Spin was Australia’s forte, with O’Reilly, as usual, and the chinaman specialist Fleetwood-Smith, picking up 44 wickets between them. England followed the opposite course, Voce and Allen sharing 43 wickets. Yet everything pales in comparison with the great turnaround in the series wrought by Bradman’s magic wand, his run-hungry willow. No wonder Gubby Allen accepted in one of his letters home, “The Australian XI is simply Bradman and no-one else.”

(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 Delhi-110 001, India. Tel. + 91 11 23417175, 23412567.

35 of the greatest batsmen in nearly 150 years of First-class and Test cricket history

WG Grace (England) ….. Tests span: 1880-1899,  Matches 22,  Highest Score 170,  Runs 1,098,  Average 32.29,  2 Centuries,  5 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1865-1908,  Matches 870,  Highest Score 344,  Runs 54,211,  Average 39.45,  124 Hundreds,  251 Fifties.

KS Ranjitsinhji (England) ….. Tests span: 1896-1902,  Matches 15,  Highest Score 175,  Runs 989,  Average 44.95,  2 Centuries,  6 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1893-1920,  Matches 307,  Highest Score 285*,  Runs 24,692,  Average 56.37,  72 Hundreds,  109 Fifties.  

Victor Trumper (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1899-1912,  Matches 48,  Highest Score 214*,  Runs 3,163,  Average 39.04,  8 Centuries,  13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1894-1914,  Matches 255,  Highest Score 300*,  Runs 16,939,  Average 44.57,  42 Hundreds,  87 Fifties.

Charlie McCartney (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1907-1926,  Matches 35,  Highest Score 170,  Runs 2,131,  Average 41.78,  7 Centuries,  9 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1905-1927,  Matches 249,  Highest Score 345,  Runs 15,019,  Average 45.78,  49 Hundreds,  53 Fifties.

Jack Hobbs (England) ….. Tests span: 1908-1930,  Matches 61,  Highest Score 211,  Runs 5,410,  Average 56.94,  15 Centuries,  28 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1905-1934,  Matches 834,  Highest Score 316*,  Runs 61,760,  Average 50.70,  199 Hundreds,  273 Fifties.

Frank Woolley (England) ….. Tests span: 1909-1934,  Matches 64,  Highest Score 154,  Runs 3,283,  Average 36.07,  5 Centuries,  23 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1906-1938,  Matches 978,  Highest Score 305*,  Runs 58,959,  Average 40.77,  145 Hundreds,  295 Fifties. 

Bill Ponsford (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1924-1934,  Matches 29,  Highest Score 266,  Runs 2,122,  Average 48.22,  7 Centuries,  6 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1920-1934,  Matches 162,  Highest Score 437,  Runs 13,819,  Average 65.18,  47 Hundreds,  43 Fifties.

Wally Hammond (England) ….. Tests span: 1927-1947,  Matches 85,  Highest Score 336*,  Runs 7,249,  Average 58.45,  22 Centuries,  24 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1920-1951,  Matches 634,  Highest Score 336*,  Runs 50,551,  Average 56.10,  167 Hundreds,  185 Fifties.

Don Bradman (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1928-1948,  Matches 52,  Highest Score 334,  Runs 6,996,  Average 99.94,  29 Centuries,  13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1927-1949,  Matches 234,  Highest Score 452*,  Runs 28,067,  Average 95.14,  117 Hundreds,  69 Fifties.

George Headley (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1930-1954,  Matches 22,  Highest Score 270*,  Runs 2,190,  Average 60.83,  10 Centuries,  5 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1927-1954,  Matches 103,  Highest Score 344*,  Runs 9,921,  Average 69.86,  33 Hundreds,  44 Fifties.

Stan McCabe (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1930-1938,  Matches 39,  Highest Score 232,  Runs 2,748,  Average 48.21,  6 Centuries,  13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1928-1942,  Matches 182,  Highest Score 240,  Runs 11,951,  Average 49.38,  29 Hundreds,  68 Fifties.

Bruce Mitchell (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1929-1949,  Matches 42,  Highest Score 189*,  Runs 3,471,  Average 48.88,  8 Centuries,  21 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1925-1950,  Matches 173,  Highest Score 195,  Runs 11,395,  Average 45.39,  30 Hundreds,  55 Fifties.

Vijay Merchant (India) ….. Tests span: 1933-1951,  Matches 10,  Highest Score 154,  Runs 859,  Average 47.72,  3 Centuries,  3 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1929-1951, Matches 150,  Highest Score 359*,  Runs 13,470,  Average 71.64,  45 Hundreds,  52 Fifties.

Dudley Nourse (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1935-1951,  Matches 34,  Highest Score 231,  Runs 2,960,  Average 53.81,  9 Centuries,  14 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1931-1953,  Matches 175,  Highest Score 260*,  Runs 12,472,  Average 51.53,  41 Hundreds,  54 Fifties.

Len Hutton (England) ….. Tests span: 1937-1955,  Matches 79,  Highest Score 364,  Runs 6,971,  Average 56.67,  19 Centuries,  33 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1934-1955,  Matches 513,  Highest Score 364,  Runs 40,140,  Average 55.51,  129 Hundreds,  177 Fifties.

Denis Compton (England) ….. Tests span: 1937-1957,  Matches 78,  Highest Score 278,  Runs 5,807,  Average 50.06,  17 Centuries,  28 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1936-1964,  Matches 515,  Highest Score 300,  Runs 38,942,  Average 51.85,  123 Hundreds,  183 Fifties.

Arthur Morris (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1946-1955,  Matches 46,  Highest Score 206,  Runs 3,533,  Average 46.48,  12 Centuries,  12 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1940-1955,  Matches 162,  Highest Score 290,  Runs 12,614,  Average 53.67,  46 Hundreds,  46 Fifties.

Frank Worrell (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1948-1963,  Matches 51,  Highest Score 261,  Runs 3,860,  Average 49.48,  9 Centuries,  22 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1941-1964,  Matches 208,  Highest Score 308*,  Runs 15,025,  Average 54.24,  39 Hundreds,  80 Fifties.

Clyde Walcott (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1948-1960,  Matches 44,  Highest Score 220,  Runs 3,798,  Average 56.68,  15 Centuries,  14 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1941-1964,  Matches 146,  Highest Score 314*,  Runs 11,820,  Average 56.55,  40 Hundreds,  54 Fifties.

Everton Weekes (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1948-1958,  Matches 48,  Highest Score 207,  Runs 4,455,  Average 58.61,  15 Centuries,  19 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1944-1964,  Matches 152,  Highest Score 304*,  Runs 12,010,  Average 55.34,  36 Hundreds,  54 Fifties.

Neil Harvey (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1948-1963,  Matches 79,  Highest Score 205,  Runs 6,149,  Average 48.41,  21 Centuries,  24 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1946-1963,  Matches 306,  Highest Score 231*,  Runs 21,699,  Average 50.93,  67 Hundreds,  94 Fifties.

Hanif Mohammad (Pakistan) ….. Tests span: 1952-1969,  Matches 55,  Highest Score 337,  Runs 3,915,  Average 43.98,  12 Centuries,  15 Fifties; ….. First-class span:  1951-1976,  Matches 238,  Highest Score 499,  Runs 17,059,  Average 52.32,  55 Hundreds,  66 Fifties.

Gary Sobers (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1954-1974,  Matches 93,  Highest Score 365*,  Runs 8,032,  Average 57.78,  26 Centuries,  30 Fifties; ….. First-class span:  1952-1974,  Matches 383,  Highest Score 365*,  Runs 28,314,  Average 54.87,  86 Hundreds,  121 Fifties.

Graeme Pollock (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1963-1970,  Matches 23,  Highest Score 274,  Runs 2,256,  Average 60.97,  7 Centuries,  11 Fifties; ….. First-class span:  1960-1987,  Matches 262,  Highest Score 274,  Runs 20,940,  Average 54.67,  64 Hundreds,  99 Fifties.

Barry Richards (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1970,  Matches 4,  Highest Score 140,  Runs 508,  Average 72.57,  2 Centuries,  2 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1964-1983,   Matches 339,  Highest Score 356,  Runs 28,358,  Average 54.74,  80 Hundreds,  152 Fifties.

Greg Chappell (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1970-1984,  Matches 87,  Highest Score 247*,  Runs 7,110,  Average 53.86,  24 Centuries,  31 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1966-1984,  Matches 321,  Highest Score 247*,  Runs 24,535,  Average 52.20,  74 Hundreds,  111 Fifties.

Sunil Gavaskar (India) ….. Tests span: 1971-1987,  Matches 125,  Highest Score 236*,  Runs 10,122,  Average 51.12,  34 Centuries,  45 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1966-1987,  Matches 348,  Highest Score 340,  Runs 25,834,  Average 51.46,  81 Hundreds,  105 Fifties.

Vivian Richards (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1974-1991,  Matches 121,  Highest Score 291,  Runs 8,540,  Average 50.23,  24 Centuries,  45 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1971-1993,  Matches 507,  Highest Score 322,  Runs 36,212,  Average 49.40,  114 Hundreds,  162 Fifties.

Martin Crowe (New Zealand) ….. Tests span: 1982-1995,  Matches 77,  Highest Score 299,  Runs 5,444,  Average 45.36,  17 Centuries,  18 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1979-1996,  Matches 247,  Highest Score 299,  Runs 19,608,  Average 56.02,  71 Hundreds,  80 Fifties.

Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) ….. Tests span: 1984-2002,  Matches 93,  Highest Score 267,  Runs 6,361,  Average 42.97,  20 Centuries,  22 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1983-2002,  Matches 220,  Highest Score 267,  Runs 15,000,  Average 48.38,  43 Hundreds,  71 Fifties.

Steve Waugh (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1985-2004,  Matches 168,  Highest Score 200,  Runs 10,927,  Average 51.06,  32 Centuries,  50 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1984-2004,  Matches 356,  Highest Score 216*,  Runs 24,052,  Average 51.94,  79 Hundreds,  97 Fifties.

Brian Lara (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1990-2006,  Matches 131,  Highest Score 400*,  Runs 11,953,  Average 52.88,  34 Centuries,  48 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1987-2008,  Matches 261,  Highest Score 501*,  Runs 22,156,  Average 51.88,  65 Hundreds,  88 Fifties.

Sachin Tendulkar (India) ….. Tests span: 1989-2013,  Matches 200,  Highest Score 248*,  Runs 15,921,  Average 53.78,  51 Centuries,  68 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1988-2013,  Matches 310,  Highest Score 248*,  Runs 25,396,  Average 57.84,  81 Hundreds,  116 Fifties.

Matthew Hayden (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1994-2009,  Matches 103,  Highest Score 380,  Runs 8,625,  Average 50.73,  30 Centuries,  29 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1991-2009,  Matches 295,  Highest Score 380,  Runs 24,603,  Average 52.57,  79 Hundreds,  100 Fifties.

Ricky Ponting (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1995-2012,  Matches 168,  Highest Score 257,  Runs 13,378,  Average 51.85,  41 Centuries,  62 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1992-2013,  Matches 289,  Highest Score 257,  Runs 24,150,  Average 55.90,  82 Hundreds,  106 Fifties.

These 35 batsmen are featured in Indra Vikram Singh's book 'Don's Century', which is a biography of Don Bradman and a panorama of batting from the 1860s till the present times. Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com.

Excerpts from Indra Vikram Singh's book 'Don's Century' ..... 30 - Chapter 7 : PEERLESS RUNGETTER AND OTHER MASTERS OF THE WILLOW (35. Matthew Hayden)

('Don's Century' is a book on the cricket career and life of Don Bradman, paying tribute to him in 2008, the year of his birth centenary. It is also a panorama of batting from the 1860s onwards featuring 35 of the greatest batsmen and discussing whether Don Bradman was indeed the greatest of them all).

For long his colleague Matthew Hayden sizzled in the first-class game, but fizzled at the highest level. His successes for Queensland did not translate into performances of any note for Australia. His first stint was mediocre and he was dropped. The big man continued to persevere, scoring heavily in domestic cricket, finally making his breakthrough at the age of 29 in the 2000-01 series in India. It has been forgotten that in that big turnaround in the Kolkata Test, engineered by the Herculean partnership between V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid, Hayden was a star performer for Australia with scores of 97 and 67. Since then the southpaw did not look back. Each year from 2001 to 2005 he hit up 1000 Test runs. Forging highly successful left-handed opening partnerships, with Adam Gilchrist in the One-dayers and Justin Langer in Tests, Hayden played a key role in Australia’s golden run.

The big bully advanced menacingly down the pitch, almost intimidating the bowlers like a giant caveman brandishing a chunky club. He did actually club the ball with his booming drives, rasping cuts and thundering pulls. The most menacing hitter since Ian Botham, Hayden slammed pacemen and spinners alike. His one weakness was his tendency to play a shot too many in his quest to dominate the bowling, thereby often giving his wicket away.

In their heyday this century, the Australians came to be hailed for their quick scoring. This was mainly courtesy the rousing starts Hayden gave with his partners. In the Tests they would hammer the new ball around and Australia invariably clocked four runs an over. In the shorter version, Hayden and Gilchrist would knock up six to seven runs an over in the first fifteen overs with the field in. That was the foundation for the incredible success Australia achieved during his fruitful days at the top of the order.

Hayden’s moment of euphoria, of course, was when he broke Lara’s Test record, blasting 380 against Zimbabwe at Perth on October 10, 2003. The bowling may have been ordinary, but it was a terrific display of hitting. Hayden struck 38 fours and 11 sixes - 218 in boundaries alone - off just 437 balls in 10 hours and 22 minutes. He took 208 deliveries to reach his hundred, and then just 229 more for the rest of his 280 runs. The Perth wicket was not as fast and bouncy as of yore, and with the ball coming nicely on to the bat, Hayden made merry. India’s former captain S. Venkataraghavan, who was umpiring that match told The Times of India, “He’s just so uninhibited. Nothing seemed to bother him.”

Just over six months later on April 12, 2004 Lara snatched the record back. Hayden bludgeoned his way through to 8625 runs at an average of 50.73 with 30 hundreds in his 103 Tests. In the One-dayers Hayden slammed 6133 runs at an average of 43.80, and a strike-rate of 78.96. An essential part of Ponting’s all-conquering World Cup team, Hayden hit the then fastest century in the competition off 66 balls against South Africa at St. Kitts in 2007. He also had the highest aggregate in that tournament with 659 runs at an average of 73.22 with three hundreds in 11 matches. One of the hardest hitting opening batsmen in history, Hayden’s contribution to Australian cricket has been matched by few.

These have been some of the very best batsmen down history. Others like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Virender Sehwag will surely find their way in history. It is remarkable how the name Bradman keeps cropping up while discussing most of them. This is indicative of the standards Bradman set, and against which most batsmen are rated. Some of the top-class batsmen of the modern era like, to name a few, Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who rendered yeomen service to Pakistan in contrasting styles, but did not quite stir the senses consistently; and Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Mohammad Yousuf, technically sound and prolific scorers, but rarely dominant; have not been discussed at length in these pages. In terms of figures they have been close to the top, but inspirational they have seldom been. Indeed Kallis has an allround Test record that has now surpassed the multi-faceted Sobers, and at similar averages! But it would be hard to place Kallis in the same league as Sobers. The very great players have an aura quite distinct.

Statistically, nobody has been able to remotely challenge Bradman and, in a paradox to the Sobers-Kallis reasoning, it is difficult to anoint another batsman as being greater than The Don. Bradman was indeed unique, matchless - to put it in corporate parlance - in terms of output, quality, productivity and profitability, a winner and a leader by a long, long way.

(Statistics in Don’s Century are updated till 27th August 2011, the 103rd birth anniversary of Sir Donald Bradman).

Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com.

Follow Indra Vikram Singh on Twitter @IVRajpipla.

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

Available online on several websites.

Distributed in India by :  

Variety Book Depot 

AVG Bhawan, 

M-3, Middle Circle, Connaught Circus,

New Delhi-110 001, India. 
Tel. + 91 11 23417175, 23412567.

Excerpts from Indra Vikram Singh's book 'Don's Century' ..... 29 - Chapter 7 : PEERLESS RUNGETTER AND OTHER MASTERS OF THE WILLOW (34. Ricky Ponting)

A batsman who occupied the no. 1 slot for several years is Ricky Ponting. For long the Australians said he was as good as Tendulkar, but this was often dismissed as hype bordering on jingoism. In his early days he seemed to be a brash young man, the naughty boy of the team. He also lived in the shadow of the Waugh twins. The mischievous look remains, but as he matured - which coincided with being handed the captaincy - Ponting quickly scaled the peak. In 2003 he hit up 1503 runs in 11 Tests at 100.20 per innings. In 2005 he amassed 1544 runs in 15 Tests at an average of 67.13, the sole batsman to notch up 1500 runs in a calendar year twice.

Not surprisingly for an Australian, Ponting is the one of the top batsmen against pace. Forever looking to get on to the front foot with an exaggerated pick up of the bat, he is quick to rock back and pull or hook. He has not always been happy against spin. Steve Waugh’s famous ‘final frontier’ series of 2000-01 in India was miserable for Ponting. Young off-spinner Harbhajan Singh mesmerised him, claiming his wicket in all five innings for 0,6,0,0,11.

In the 2007-08 series in Australia, Harbhajan once more troubled Ponting, dismissing him cheaply in the first Test at Melbourne, and then again in the first innings at Sydney. One got the impression that the Australians pressed charges against Harbhajan because they wanted to shift his focus away from the game. Whatever the truth, Harbhajan did not bother Ponting again in the series.

Despite this, there can be no denying that Ponting has been among the best batsmen in the world for many years. Having become the seventh to reach 10,000 Test runs - now stationed at 12,363 - with an average of 53.51 and 39 hundreds, Ponting would be vying with the likes of Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to pass Lara’s record aggregate and set new benchmarks.       

In One-day Internationals Ponting has logged 13,602 runs, more than 4500 runs behind Tendulkar, with an average of 42.77, strike-rate of 80.59 and 30 centuries. His moment of glory in One-dayers came in the final of the 2003 World Cup at Johannesburg when he virtually finished the match even before India batted. His unbeaten 140 with a record 8 sixes ensured that the ICC World Cup stayed with Australia.

Ponting’s captaincy record in the World Cup is magical. His team won 22 matches in a row - 11 each in 2003 and 2007 - a feat that is unlikely to be matched and went another five matches in 2011 without defeat. Just as Steve Waugh’s side had a hiccup in India in 2000-01, Ponting’s outfit lost the Ashes in 2005. That was the first time Australia lost the Ashes since 1986-87, after winning an unprecedented eight successive series against the Old Enemy. Ponting’s team then bounced back at home, reclaiming the Ashes in style by 5-0 in 2006-07. His side also equalled the feat of Steve Waugh’s men by winning 16 Tests in a row in that acrimonious game at Sydney in 2007-08, full of umpiring howlers.

Of late the sheen has worn off a bit in Ponting’s career. His form has dipped somewhat, and there were even calls to sack him from the captaincy after that controversial Sydney Test. Peter Roebuck went to the extent of writing that Ponting had turned the Australian team into a “pack of wild dogs.” That might be going a bit too far, but his side lost the One-day triangular finals 2-0 to India. With two successive series losses in the Ashes, and the World Cup crown taken away in 2011, it was inevitable that he would relinquish the captaincy. Ponting can now focus on his batting.

(Statistics in Don’s Century are updated till 27th August 2011, the 103rd birth anniversary of Sir Donald Bradman).

Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com.

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

Available online on several websites.

Distributed in India by :  

Variety Book Depot 

AVG Bhawan, 

M-3, Middle Circle, Connaught Circus,

New Delhi-110 001, India. 

Tel. + 91 11 23417175, 23412567.

Excerpts from Indra Vikram Singh's book 'Don's Century' ..... 28 - Chapter 7 : PEERLESS RUNGETTER AND OTHER MASTERS OF THE WILLOW (33. Brian Lara)

When in the mood, Brian Lara was a genius, no less. Caribbean flair, and not any textbook principles, was the hallmark of his batting. High backlift, braced knees, a hop this way and that in the crease, flashing blade and terrific bat speed, and deft wrist-work on either side of the wicket were characteristics of his inimitable style. When he put his mind to it, he was amongst the very best ever, in the traditional form perhaps next only to Bradman.

As super success embraced him, Lara was quick to assume the airs of a megastar. Petulance, brushes with authority and stormy personal life began to cast a shadow over his career. For a long time it seemed that he might go the way of so many hugely talented sportsmen like George Best who frittered away their God-given gifts and ultimately destroyed themselves.

It is said that the pressure of expectations got the better of Lara. To his credit, he broke free of the stupor and applied his mind to his batting, returning as one of the greatest rungetters the game has seen. The difference between Lara and Tendulkar - hugely talented as both are in their unique ways - was that Tendulkar remained grounded, a dedicated player, committed team man, modest and content in the security of family life. He never allowed the unprecedented adulation to swamp him, nor did the burden of having to perform constantly stifle him. He sailed along, darling of millions, everyone’s very own endearing Sachin. If he had a flaw, as we have already discussed, it was that he would get carried away by his own brilliance and give his wicket away when there were many, many more runs for the taking.

That 277 at Sydney in 1992-93, Lara’s first Test hundred, when the West Indies were desperately defending their status as top dogs, was only advance notice of what was to follow. Lara emulated Bradman by holding the records for the highest scores in Tests as well as first-class cricket. Sir Garfield Sobers walked on to the Antigua Recreation Ground to embrace Lara as the new hero went past his Test record. In that 1993-94 series against England, Lara hit up 798 runs at an average of 99.75.

The world had still not stopped applauding Lara when he astounded everyone by piling up an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire versus Durham at Birmingham. It was a new frontier - as a famous television series on space odysseys declared - where no man had gone before. In a matter of days he did what no batsman, not Grace nor Bradman, had done in 117 years. The English bowlers must have dreaded the sight of his punishing blade as he carved out 765 runs in the six-Test series on their soil in 1995 at an average of 85.

In between, Lara had not relished the slower wickets of India during the 1994-95 series. Not long after, when the euphoria of having scaled great highs so early in his career wore off, Lara began appearing listless and disinterested. It was akin to the feeling of unease that Bradman experienced in 1932, but Lara’s malaise was more severe. Bradman never allowed his performances to dip, Lara could not defy his slump.

He recovered, to the good fortune of cricket-lovers around the world. The first sign of a turnaround came in 1998-99. That season his stock had slumped to abysmal depths in South Africa as the West Indies were trounced 5-0 in the Test series. Then they were beaten by Australia in the first Test at home. There were shrill voices all around demanding that Lara be stripped of the captaincy. And then he struck. He scored a superb 213 to lead the West Indies to victory over Steve Waugh’s side at Kingston. In the very next Test at Bridgetown he carried his team to an exhilarating one-wicket triumph with a stupendous unbeaten 153. So gripping was the game that the Jamaican prime minister postponed meetings to watch the finale. The West Indies actually led the series 2-1 now, and Lara was again being hailed as a superhero everywhere. This was akin to Bradman’s stirring fightback in 1936-37, but not quite as decisive in the end. The Australians eventually levelled the series, but Lara had once again shown what he was really capable of.

The big turnaround eventually came in 2001-02 in the Emerald Island after a prolonged illness. He began with his 221 off the Sri Lankan bowling at Colombo in that landmark season. In three Tests, Lara scored 668 runs at an average of 114.66 with 3 hundreds. Though he suffered a serious arm injury as a result of a mid-pitch collision, he came back stronger than ever. Since that series, in the last six years till his retirement from Test cricket in 2006-07, he scored an average of a Test double century a year.        

When Sri Lanka made a return visit to the Caribbean islands the next season, Lara slammed 209 at Gros Islet. After he regained the captaincy in 2003, and perhaps consumed by a burning desire to finish his career in a blaze of glory, Lara was unstoppable. He played two big knocks in the 2003-04 season. He first slammed 202 against South Africa at Johannesburg. During the course of that innings he hit the highest number of runs in an over in Test cricket. He smashed Robin Peterson for 4.6.6.4.4.4, a total of 28 runs.

Matthew Hayden had taken away Lara’s Test record that season. The Prince of Trinidad, though, was not ready to be dethroned. And so Hayden had the pleasure, and privilege, of being Test cricket’s top-scorer for only a few months.  Lara returned to the same venue and against the very opponents of a decade earlier and reclaimed his coveted record. Again he went to a territory no Test cricketer had treaded before, reaching 400 before he returned unconquered. He had emulated Bradman by hitting up two scores of 300-plus in Test cricket. India’s Virender Sehwag joined the club at Chennai in 2007-08. But while Bradman was never able to reset the Test record, Lara, incredibly, got it back. That there was a gap of a decade between the two high watermarks, makes his achievements even more laudable.

PROGRESSION OF RECORD INDIVIDUAL SCORES 
IN TEST CRICKET

165*   Charles Bannerman   Aus v Eng   1876-77

211     Bill Murdoch              Aus v Eng   1884    

287     Reginald Foster          Eng v Aus   1903-04

325     Andy Sandham         Eng v WI     1929-30

334     Don Bradman            Aus v Eng   1930

336*   Wally Hammond       Eng v NZ     1932-33

364     Len Hutton                Eng v Aus    1938

365*   Gary Sobers                WI v Pak     1957-58

375     Brian Lara                 WI v Eng      1993-94

380     Matthew Hayden     Aus v Zim    2003-04

400*   Brian Lara                 WI v Eng      2003-04

           

Then in Adelaide in 2005-06, as if to rub it into the Aussies, Lara overtook Allan Border’s record Test aggregate, celebrating his achievement by bringing up another double century, hitting up 226. In a final hurrah, Lara crashed 216 against Pakistan at Multan in 2006-07, his last season. He blazed to what was the tenth-quickest hundred in Test cricket, off a mere 77 deliveries, blasting 26 runs - 4.0.6.6.6.4 - off a Danish Kaneria over. Lara has nine scores of 200 or more in Test cricket, second only to Bradman, who had twelve.

He walked away from the Test arena with 11,953 runs in his kitty at an average of 52.88 with 34 centuries in 131 matches. He did many things that Bradman did not manage - the Test record twice, 500 in first-class cricket, 400 in a Test innings, and the highest aggregate. Was Lara better than Tendulkar? This depends on which aspects of the game you cherish more. For nonchalantly churning out huge scores, Lara was in the top bracket; for performing steadily and mastering all types of bowling and conditions in both forms of the game, Tendulkar has few peers.          

PROGRESSION OF RECORD AGGREGATES 
IN TEST CRICKET (above 1000 runs)

                                    Runs   Tests    HS      Ave     100s   Year

A. Shrewsbury (E)     1,277     23     164     35.47      3      1893

C. Hill (A)                   3,412     49    191     39.21       7     1912

J.B. Hobbs (E)             5,410     61    211     56.94     15     1930

W.R. Hammond (E)   7,249     85    336*   58.45     22     1947

M.C. Cowdrey (E)     7,624   114    182     44.06     22   1971-75

G.S. Sobers (WI)         8,032     93    365*    57.78     26     1974

G. Boycott (E)             8,114   108    246*    47.72     22     1982

S.M. Gavaskar (I)     10,122   125    236*    51.12     34     1987

A.R. Border (A)        11,174   156    205     50.56     27     1994

B.C. Lara (WI)          11,953   131    400*    52.88     34     2006

S.R. Tendulkar (I)     14,965   181    248*    56.25    51     2011

Lara joined Tendulkar as the only batsmen then to score 10,000 runs in Tests as well as One-day Internationals. Dravid, Ponting and Jacques Kallis joined the club later. In 299 One-dayers Lara accumulated 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48 and strike-rate of 79.51, with 19 hundreds. In the World Cup he scored two brilliant match-winning hundreds against South Africa, in the 1996 quarter-final, and the opening encounter in 2003. He has the third-highest aggregate of 1225 runs in the showpiece event - behind Tendulkar and Ponting - at an average of 42.24 and strike-rate of 86.26. The fastest fifty of the competition stood to his name, off 23 balls against Canada at Centurion in 2003, until bettered in 2007.

For all his dazzling strokeplay, one often did not hear the thump of the ball against Lara’s bat. That was the result of his inimitable wristwork. He would guide the ball to untenanted areas of the field all round the wicket. What was utterly fascinating was that he did this on the rise to the slow bowlers as well, allowing the ball to turn, and then flicking it wherever he fancied. To work away a quick bowler is easy. To have done it to a spinner - and on the rise - is what made Lara extraordinary.

(Statistics in Don’s Century are updated till 27^th August 2011, the 103^rd birth anniversary of Sir Donald Bradman).

Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com.

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 Delhi-110 001, India. 

Tel. + 91 11 23417175, 23412567.