Bradman Turns 110: 5 Incredible feats you never knew.

52 Matches, 6996 Runs at an average of 99.94 and a duck in the last Test Innings when he needed just 4 runs to complete an average of 100. All these astonishing as well as depressing numbers under the belt of just one person.

Sir Donald George Bradman, the greatest cricketer, as well as the greatest ball-game sportsperson of all-time, was born on 27th August in 1908 in Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia.

Having played his last test match a little over 70 years back, the phenomenal batsman still holds a number of cricketing records which might never be broken. And his average of 99.94 after playing 80 Test Innings, is regarded as his most iconic and well-known achievement. It almost looks as if his stats are apocryphal. No one since has even come close to his god-like career stats.

Sadly, his career got broken for a long time when he was well in his prime. The second World War, that lasted for 6 years helped to ruin the legend's stats as he was limited to 'only' 29 centuries and 12 double centuries by the time his career ended famously in 1948.

There are a number of well-known facts of his, but here are 4 incredible not-so-well-known feats of The Don:

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#5 Almost scored a third Triple Hundred: 299*

The Don famously was left stranded just one shy of a triple ton

It is very well known that Sir Donald Bradman was the first batsman to score 2 triple centuries in Test cricket and only Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag, and Chris Gayle have matched this amazing feat. But, Bradman once missed out on another Triple Hundred by just a single run when he was batting against South Africa in 1932 at Adelaide.

Coming in at no.3, Bradman stayed not out in his innings of 299, as the no.11 batsman, HM Thurlow was run out when Australia's score read 513, denying Bradman of what could have been his 3rd triple hundred.

Virender Sehwag once got out on 293 against Sri Lanka in 2009. So technically, Bradman holds the record for being the only batsman to score 299 or more 3 times. Well, that's something (tongue in cheek).

#4 The Reversed Batting order: 270 at No.7

Bradman wasn't only a class batsman, but he was also a smart captain. There have been many tactics used in Test cricket. English Captain Douglas Jardine’s bodyline tactic in the 1932-33 Ashes in Australia was so brutal, it forced a change in the rules. However, it proved to be effective as England won the series 4-1.

But, perhaps the most insane tactic in cricket history, coming from the mind of Sir Donald Bradman himself, is one that seems extremely absurd, but actually makes a lot of sense. It makes for a really good cricket story.

Bringing the tailenders up, and the best batsmen in the tail down the order.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat in the 1937 Ashes series' New Year's Test in Melbourne. This was a mistake. Bradman came in at 7/1, got out after scoring 13, and Australia was 9-200 in 65 overs, on a wicket that was crumbling down to get even worse.

Bradman declared on this score to send England early on day 2 on a wet wicket. The English team collapsed. They went from 68/3 to 76/9. They had lost nine wickets in 28 overs(8-ball), and the wicket was in a very dreadful shape. The English captain, Gubby Allen, then declared too on 76/9.

Bradman knew he would have to face the worst wicket of his career, even worse with the sky getting dimmer (30 mins to close of day's play). He also was aware of the fact that the sun beating down on the rest day on Sunday would dry the wicket, making playing significantly easier.

He wasted some time first and then, he sent his tailenders, Bill O’Reilly and Chuck Fleetwood-Smith, to open the innings.

The crowd, and possibly the English fielders cracked up when they saw this. What was wrong with Bradman? O'Reilly was caught first ball and England believed they might actually have a chance. Bradman still persevered. Frank Ward, whose original position was number 10, was sent in at number 3. He and Fleetwood-Smith managed to last till stumps.

Wickets fell at regular interval on Monday and then Bradman finally came in to bat when the score read 97-5 and unleashed himself and the other batsmen. He went on to score 270 at number 7, a world record, and took Australia from 97-5 to 564!

Australia won the match by a mammoth 365 runs, perfect for a New Year's Test.

The Don did what no one thought would work. Indeed, a cricketing master.

#3 974 Runs in a Test series.

Bradman holds a trophy in 1930.

Having made his Test Debut in 1928 as a 20-year-old, he had a pretty normal start to his career scoring just 18 & 1 in his debut match against England. In his first 8 innings, he had scored two 50s and two 100s.

But what transpired in The Ashes of 1930 in England was something extraordinary. Donald Bradman announced himself to the world. In that series, he went totally berserk to score an ultimate total of 974 runs in just 7 innings spanning across 5 matches and smashed the England bowlers at his will.

His scores for the series read: 8, 131, 254, 1, 334, 14 & 232.

This record holds itself even today, 88 years later. Incredible.

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SPECIAL MENTION

Sir Donald Bradman scored a Triple Century in a day's play in the Leed's Test match of The Ashes of 1930 in England. He scored more than 100 runs in all three sessions and ended the day on 309*. Only Indian opener Virender Sehwag once came close with 284* in one day.

#2 A 100 in 3 overs.

Don Bradman could destroy an attack when he wanted.

Ab De Villiers' 31-ball century in an ODI against West Indies and Chris Gayle's 30-ball effort in an IPL Match have left modern cricket fans astonished thinking about the talent they possess in their pockets. These records are something that seems unbreakable.

To everyone's surprise though, a batsman from the slow and boring, the real Test era has done even better. Sir Donald Bradman once scored 100 runs in under 3 overs! 22 balls to be precise, as they were 8-ball overs and the non-striker faced two off the 24 balls just to give the strike back to Bradman.

It was a match between Blackheath and Lithgow in 1931 to open a new concrete pitch at Blackheath, the first in the district. Playing for Blackheath, Bradman unleashed after going past his 100.

In an onslaught that took place in just 18 minutes, the figures of the Three 8-ball overs read:

1st Over- 6,6,4,2,4,4,6,1 (33 runs)

2nd Over- 6,4,4,6,6,4,6,4 (40 runs)

3rd Over- 1,6,6,1,1,4,4,6 (29 runs)

Bradman was eventually dismissed for 256, which included 14 sixes and 29 fours.

"It's important, I think, to emphasize that the thing was not planned," Bradman said years later. "It happened purely by accident and everyone was surprised at the outcome, no one more than I."

What a smasher of the cricket ball.

#1 The epic comeback of 3-2.

Don Bradman bats in the nets, Sydney, November 19, 1936

This is another one of those Bradman,s achievement which hadn't happened before in cricket history and hasn't happened ever since. The comeback in the Ashes series in 1936/37, Australia.

The English cricket team had murdered the Aussies in their own backyard in the first two test matches of the series in December. They won the first match at Brisbane by 332 runs and the 2nd match in Sydney by an innings and 22 runs. The Aussies were looking pale and clueless against the visitors and were quite on the path of losing the Ashes on their land. Sir Don Bradman was himself under tremendous pressure as the series scoreline read 0-2.

But, the New Year 1937 came and everything changed. It started with the Melbourne Test match where Bradman used the bizarre Reverse batting order tactic to tackle the conditions and win. In the next 2 matches, the Kangaroos turned the table around and set up huge wins: By 148 runs at the Adelaide Oval and by an innings and 200 runs at the MCG.

It was an extraordinary effort by the legendary Captain and his team as they went on to clinch the Ashes 3-2 after being 0-2 down.

Bradman, as he often did, ended up being the highest run-scorer in the series with 810 runs to help his team retain the famous Ashes Urn.