One of the most common means by which a batsman's proficiency is judged is by his batting average: how many runs a batsman scores per inning.
Sir Don Bradman of Australia, who played from 1928−48 and is widely considered the most iconic batsman to have ever played the game, averaged 99.94 runs in his career. To put this in perspective, Sachin Tendulkar has the highest aggregate among the players currently playing the game with 56.96. While it is unfair to compare batsmen from completely different eras — the playing conditions differed greatly and cricket was usually only played in England, Australia and the West Indies, as opposed to the global reach of the game now — the vast difference between these statistics is a testament to The Don's prowess at bat.
Tendulkar fondly recalls his first meeting with Bradman in a conversation with the press: "We went to see him on his 90th birthday. It was very special. We were talking about averages and I said, ‘Sir Don, if you were playing today, what would you have averaged?' And he said, ‘70, probably.' I asked, ‘Why 70 and not your actual average of 99?' Bradman said, ‘Come on, an average of 70 is not bad for a 90−year−old man.'"
By no means was Bradman regarded as arrogant. He played the game with the utmost humility and respect, but the one quality that set him apart from other batsmen was his sheer confidence in his own batting abilities. Batsmen in that era did not wear helmets, so facing up to a fast bowler took a lot of courage. He never shirked from that responsibility and relished batting amid great adversity.
The most famous number associated with Bradman is 99.94. While he was playing his last innings, he needed just 4 runs to average 100 — which is highly unusual in and of itself because hitting a century (100 runs) in an inning is considered the pinnacle of success for a batsman. That day, however, Bradman was bowled for zero in England, and there ended the most enthralling cricketing career the world had ever seen — and has yet to see.
If we are to talk about legends, then enough cannot be said about Sir Garfield Sobers — widely regarded as the greatest all−rounder to have played the game. He made his debut against England when he was just 17 and progressed quickly from there, establishing himself as an icon of the sport. He was an excellent batsman, a match−winning bowler as well as a superb fielder. An incredible athlete — he played football, basketball, table tennis and dominos for Barbados — and part of the world−dominating West Indian team, he enjoyed success in every aspect of the game. He is most famously remembered for hitting an incredible six sixes in an over — the first man to perform this feat in first−class cricket.
He was an excellent player, willing to adapt to any situation, capable of being an aggressive batsman, striking fear into the bowlers, as well as knuckling down and preserving his wicket to ensure success for his team. His bowling action is still regarded as one of the most fascinating sights in cricket. He would bowl three different types of balls, making him an extremely versatile bowler, good enough to bowl in any condition and at any batsman. He was a tremendous athlete, as well, and is known to have made fielding cool with his calm demeanor, excellent reflexes and extremely quick athleticism on the field.
Such players are one−offs in cricket and, unfortunately, we will never see them grace the field again. But do not despair. There are more records to be broken and more legends to be made, and the only way we can cherish them is by following the game that we have all come to love, thanks to players like Bradman and Sobers.
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Avinash Asthana is a junior majoring in computer science. He can be reached at Avinash.Asthana@tufts.edu.
