Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and Sir Don Bradman have been known to have shared a very good camaraderie. Both had huge admiration for the other. As foremost players of the Gentleman’s game they are also known to have achieved great heights.
August 14 though is about two special events that took place in their lives, 42 years apart. All in a day.
The year was 1948. Sir Don Bradman was leading the 19th cricket team from Australia to be touring England.
Under Sir Don the team managed to retain the Ashes which they held since 1943. For the record, Bradman’s side was the first Australian team to remain unbeaten in an England tour.
The Aussies went into the fifth match of the five test series with a lead of 3 – 0. The Aussies were taking on England at the iconic Oval.
Aussie pacer Ray Lindwall ran through the English batting line-up as the hosts packed up for a paltry score of 52 on opening day. He ensured a record 6 for 20 in 16.1 overs, the other wickets were picked by Keith Miller (2 for 5) and Bill Johnston (2 for 20).
Taking on England’s 52, Australian openers Arthur Morris and Barnes led their side’s innings. Losing the first wicket at 117 for 1 the Aussies saw Bradman walk out to bat in his final Test.
He entered amidst rapturous applause and cheer from friends and rivals English Captain Norman Yardley shook hands with him and he and his team cheered for Bradman. The crowd too was not far behind in celebrating the legendary innings.
An emotional Bradman managed to survive first ball but by the next he was bowled out at four runs short of a record.
He could not touch a career test average of 100. England spinner Eric Hollies used a googly to stump Bradman. The Australians never batted again in the Test and Bradman bowed out of Test cricket with an average of 99.94.
Considered one of the greatest batsman in the 20th century, the beginning of that century belonged to Sir Bradman, end of the same century saw Sachin Tendulkar crack the Bradman code.
Forty-two years later, England took on India in a three-Test series, starting July 26, 1990.
The Indian board was making an attempt to build an Indian team, a ‘dream team of the 90s’ captained by Mohd Azharuddin courtesy a panel of young players like Anil Kumble, Sanjeev Sharma and – above all – a 17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar .
Tendulkar had already proved his mettle as a school cricket. By now he was rearing to rub shoulders with players like Navjot Sidhu, Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Azharuddin, Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar and Kiran More who were part of the team. The first match went to the English hosts where the Indians lost by 247 runs.
Tendulkar made his first Test century for India, against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, helping India save a Test match. His 119 was recorded as a great match-saving innings by a Indian cricketer outside the sub continent.
This was the first of 100 international centuries that Tendulkar made during his 24-year cricket career.
Sachin went on to add another incredible 99 international centuries across formats, over 23 years. It was this that helped Sachin break the record of Sir Don Bradman.
Sachin popular as the Run Machine and Little Master had been well received for scoring centuries on debut in Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophies. Sachin attracted attention the day he tested new waters with his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989 at an age of 16, becoming the youngest Indian Test cricketer. He scored well breaking Mushtaq Mohammad’s record as the youngest century-maker.
Having started as a modest run scorer clocking two half-centuries, he was always interested in numbers, especially the firsts.
Having missed a major milestone against Pakistan and New Zealand it was an encounter against England at Old Trafford where he scripted history.
The English scored 519 runs before they were bowled out. Azharuddin produced a captain’s knock of 179 runs off 243. India closed in on England’s first innings score. India were bundled out for 432 runs.
In the next innings England piled up 320 runs more. On final day with 20 minutes into play, the English declared. The English had imagined that they had won it for good. India had a target of 408 runs and the India had to survive 85-95 overs on the fifth day.
India lost Siddhu at 4 for 1. The next Indian opener Ravi Shastri followed his partner next and left India at 35 for 2. At 109 for 4, Tendulkar walked in with his captain by his side.
It was one hour into the play that he turned the table on the English. Azhar and Sachin played crucial knocks and ran between wickets.
Azharuddin fell for 11 runs. Meanwhile Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 119 runs off 189 balls. This was his first hundred for India. India claimed an excellent draw in the Test match.
It is believed Sir Don was awestruck by a spell binding knock of Sachin where he scored 90 against Australia in a 1996 World Cup match.
In a much publicized historic meeting Sachin Tendulkar met Sir Don Bradman on his 90th birthday at his residence in Sydney.
Even as Cricket remains the most popular sport of all time especially in India, it is such legendary play, admiration and historic feats that gives us reason to love the Gentleman’s game.
Note: Pics sourced from the net
Comments