What Don Bradman thought of the first Indian team that toured Australia
Despite dominating the visitors on the field during the 1947-’48 series, the Australian captain had deep respect for Indian cricketers.
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Just two months after India attained independence, its cricket team travelled to Australia to play one of the greatest Test sides ever. This was to be Don Bradman’s last series at home and the only opportunity for India to face him.
Bradman was 39 by then and beset with a series of health problems, but when he was asked to lead the Australian side, he said yes. “Believing that the season against India in 1947-8 would be less exacting and that now I was better able to stand up to it, I again felt it my duty to play this one season, especially as it was to be the first tour of Australia by an Indian team,” Bradman wrote in his 1950 autobiography Farewell to Cricket. “At that time I was still very dubious about attempting a final tour of England.”
For the tourists, the challenge was onerous. India had played Tests since its first match at Lord’s in June 1932 but not won a single one. Besides, their star players including Vijay Merchant had pulled out at the start of the tour because of injuries.
Bradman was disappointed. He seemed to have a great deal of respect for Merchant, who was originally named captain for the tour....
