Sir Don Bradman’s bat inducted at Kolkata Museum

Arguably the greatest batsman to have played the game, Sir Donald Bradman’s career numbers are second to none. He finished the game with a mind-boggling average of 99.94 after scoring 6,996 runs in Test cricket. Bradman had also played against India when Lala Amarnath’s team traveled to Australia for the first time in 1947-48.

When Bradman bullied the Indians

The Indian team lost the series 4-0 and Bradman did what he was best known for: score loads of runs. He bullied the Indian attack and collected 715 runs in 6 innings at an average of 178.75. The No. 3 batsmen scored as many as 4 centuries in the 5-Test series.

Recently, a bat used by Bradman during that India series was presented to the Fanattic Sports Museum in Kolkata on Tuesday. A Melbourne-based collector of sports memorabilia Nikhil Daftary sent it to India through former Australian captain Michael Clarke, who is commentating in ongoing series between India and Australia.

The museum has already got a David Warner bat in its collections which gave a chance to the former cricketers present at the event to compare the size of both the bats. “To have averaged 99.94 with bats of this kind makes you marvel all over again at what that man achieved,” said Clarke.

Another addition to the museum was a painting of Michael Clarke on his way to a monumental 329 against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2012. It was a series where India were bamboozled by the Australians during the 4-match Test series which construed the retirements of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, two of India’s finest batsmen ever.

Smith’s men keen to make amends

Australia are 1-0 down in the 5-match series after they lost the opening game in Chennai and would look to make amends in the second ODI which is scheduled for Thursday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The weather might play spoilsport during the game.