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Don Bradman got his 100th First-Class hundred on November 15, 1947.
He was playing against the touring Indians.
Lala Amarnath, the Indian captain, did his best to make things difficult for Bradman.
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He was playing against the touring Indians.
Lala Amarnath, the Indian captain, did his best to make things difficult for Bradman.
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Amarnath was always one to try out new things. In this aspect, he was among the boldest of all Indian captains.
The fact that this was one of the greatest teams in history at their den did not deter him.
Here is an example.
https://twitter.com/ovshake42/status/1304452282918952965
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The fact that this was one of the greatest teams in history at their den did not deter him.
Here is an example.
https://twitter.com/ovshake42/status/1304452282918952965
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Let us return to the match at the SCG.
India had batted all of Day 1 to score 292/9 (from 229/9) in front of about 10,000 people.
Bradman was expected to bat early on Day 2.
At his normal rate, a hundred in under two hours was probable (he got 172 in under three hours here).
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India had batted all of Day 1 to score 292/9 (from 229/9) in front of about 10,000 people.
Bradman was expected to bat early on Day 2.
At his normal rate, a hundred in under two hours was probable (he got 172 in under three hours here).
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So the crowd swelled to 32,000-mark on Day 2.
The last pair (Gogumal Kishenchand and Jenni Irani) took India to 326.
Bradman was 11 at lunch.
It was not yet tea when he reached 99.
Given how he batted, surely nothing could prevent him from going after the first ball?
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The last pair (Gogumal Kishenchand and Jenni Irani) took India to 326.
Bradman was 11 at lunch.
It was not yet tea when he reached 99.
Given how he batted, surely nothing could prevent him from going after the first ball?
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Only Amarnath thought otherwise. He called Kishenchand, who was patrolling the boundary, and asked him to bowl.
(I love this caricature by Frank Lee. I found this in The Advertiser, Adelaide.)
Now Kishenchand was an excellent batsman at First-Class level (7,187 runs at 48).
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(I love this caricature by Frank Lee. I found this in The Advertiser, Adelaide.)
Now Kishenchand was an excellent batsman at First-Class level (7,187 runs at 48).
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He had also, as mentioned above, done well in the first innings.
But he was at best an occasional bowler.
His leg-breaks would fetched him only 37 wickets across 127 First-Class matches.
He had not bowled on that tour till then.
So why him?
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But he was at best an occasional bowler.
His leg-breaks would fetched him only 37 wickets across 127 First-Class matches.
He had not bowled on that tour till then.
So why him?
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But Amarnath's intended target acknowledged the move: "He had not bowled before and I had no idea what type of bowler he was. It was a shrewd move, as one could have been easily deceived, but I treated him with the greatest respect until eventually came a single to mid-on."
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The hundredth hundred happened.
Bradman remains the only one to score a hundred First-Class hundreds without playing for an English county.
Despite becoming a part of history, Kishenchand faded away from public memory over time.
Until last year, when this happened.
Bradman remains the only one to score a hundred First-Class hundreds without playing for an English county.
Despite becoming a part of history, Kishenchand faded away from public memory over time.
Until last year, when this happened.
