Sir Donald Bradman

Sir Donald George Bradman was born on August 27, 1908, in Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia, and grew up in the nearby rural town of Bowral. As a boy, he honed his exceptional hand-eye coordination by hitting a golf ball against a curved brick water tank stand with a cricket stump -- a practice routine that became legendary in cricket folklore. Bradman made his first-class debut for New South Wales in 1927 at the age of 19 and was selected for the Australian Test team just a year later. In his debut Ashes series in England in 1930, he scored 974 runs at an average of 139.14, including a then-record 334 at Headingley -- performances that announced him as a once-in-a-generation talent.

So dominant was Bradman that England devised the infamous Bodyline strategy during the 1932-33 Ashes series, specifically designed to curb his scoring. Under the direction of captain Douglas Jardine, fast bowler Harold Larwood bowled short-pitched deliveries aimed at the batsman's body with a packed leg-side field. Despite this hostile tactic, Bradman still managed to average 56.57 in that series -- a figure most batsmen would consider outstanding. His career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Royal Australian Air Force and suffered health problems. Upon his return, he led Australia to an unprecedented unbeaten tour of England in 1948 with the famed Invincibles, winning the Ashes 4-0 and remaining undefeated across all 34 matches of the tour.

Bradman's final Test innings at The Oval in August 1948 has become one of cricket's most poignant moments. Needing just four runs to finish with a career average of exactly 100, he was bowled for a duck (zero) by leg-spinner Eric Hollies, finishing with an average of 99.94. That figure remains the greatest statistical achievement in the history of any major sport. Bradman was knighted in 1949 for his services to cricket and later served as a cricket administrator and selector. He was named a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1979 and was inducted as the inaugural member of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He passed away on February 25, 2001, aged 92, but his legacy as the greatest batsman who ever lived remains unchallenged.