Bradman marches to Mumbai
"For both the Don and for me, this is an honour," says Mark Tregoning, director of the Bradman Walk to Glory project. "Sir Don would have dearly loved to be here, he has great respect for Indian cricket and cricketers, but he is getting on in years (the cricketing legend is now 88) and has been advised against such long trips."
However, Bradman's Walk...is now in the city, and the exhibition featuring it was inaugurated at the Wankhede Stadium by Bombay Cricket Association president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi on Wednesday evening.
The Australian $ 1 million painting takes its genesis from one of the most dramatic moments in the England-Australia cricketing rivalry. Way back in 1937 Australia, already down by two Tests to none, were facing defeat in the third Test, played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between January 1 and 7, 1937.
On a dodgy wicket, Australia batted first and made 200 for nine, and England in reply had been skittled for 76/9. In the second innings, Australia again slumped, to 97/5, and it looked as if a determined batting effort by England in the second innings would see the visiting team go three up, and thus wrap up the series.
It was at this stage that skipper Donald George Bradman walked down the stairs of the MCG dressing room and out into the middle, to join Jack Fingleton at the crease.
Those who were there then have written reams about the steely resolve flashing in the master batsman's eyes, the wrinkle of determination creasing his forehead, the calm, composed walk to the wicket...
As the rain came down, Bradman began hitting the bowling around. The ball became increasingly slippy. Play continued in inclement conditions, and at stumps Australia was 5/194.
Next morning, Bradman woke with flu and high temperature, and still batted throughout most of the day, adding 346 runs in 364 minutes with Fingleton -- a record for the 6th wicket for Tests).
The sixth Australian wicket to fall, that of Fingleton for 136, was at the score of 443. Bradman, meanwhile, went serenely on and, when he became the ninth Australian batsman to be out, his personal score stood in 270, and his side's score was 549.
The rest, to perpetuate a cricketing cliche, is history - Australia totalled 564 and set England a target of 688. The visiting side went under, to the spin of Fleetwood Smith (5 for 124) for a total of 323. And Australia had carved out a 365 run win to pull back to 2-1. Full scoreboard.
And buoyed by this turnaround, the home side went on to take the next two Tests, and win the Ashes 3-2.
And it all began with Bradman's march down the stairs and out to the middle, that day 60 years ago -- a walk immortalised recently, in oil, by English artist Colin Dudley.
The brass-framed portrait begain its journey around the cricketing world in May, when it first was exhibited at the Long Room of the MCG on May 28. Subsequently, on June 20, it was displayed for the public at Lord's. And now Bombay becomes the third halt on the Don's long march.
But why the walk? It all goes back, Tregoning says, to a meeting with the Don last year. Tregoning, who doubles up as executive director of the non-profit Wheelchair Sports organisation in Australi, was on a fund-raising mission at the time.
Sir Don expressed interest and, over a series of meetings, the cricketing legend went over archival pictures before selecting a photograph depicting that famous walk out to the middle of the MCG.
English artist Colin Dudley was then commissioned and, after intensive research, recreated the walk in the famous oil. "After the painting tours the cricketing world, we hope to auction it and use the proceeds for charity," Tregoning says.
Simultaneously, 99 limited editions of the painting, personally numbered and autographed by the Don himself, will be up for sale throughout the world. The limited editions, valued at A$ 20,000 (Rs 560,000) apiece, are the same size as the original. 30 copies will be available for sale in the Indian sub-continent, while the other 69 will be sold in Australia and England. The proceeds of the sale will be shared by Wheelchair Sports and the Bradman Museum Trust.
Meanwhile, the Don will leave a little footprint back on Bombay soil, when Tregoning presents the BCA with a miniaturised version of the painting, bearing the Don's autograph. The original will be flown back to Australia on Friday.
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