To Indians Bradman
was God: Gavaskar

India's most famous batsman Sunil Gavaskar lamented the death of Australian icon Sir Donald Bradman on Monday and said he was a god to cricket fans in India.

"The cricketing world assumed that like with his batting, he would score a century in life as well," Gavaskar said in a message of condolence following the death, on Sunday, of the 92-year-old Bradman.

"To Indians, for most of whom cricket is a religion, Sir Donald Bradman was God and there will be immense sadness all over the cricketing world at his passing away," he said from Bombay.

Bradman, who died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, retired from first-class cricket more than half a century ago.

But his records remain the yardstick for sportsmen around the globe: he played in 52 Tests for Australia between 1928-1948, scoring 6,996 runs at an average of 99.94. He made 29 centuries with a top score of 334.

Gavaskar offered his condolences to Bradman's family and Australia which, he said, had lost "one of the greatest men the world has ever known".

Bradman's record 29 Test centuries stood for almost four decades before Gavaskar surpassed it with his 34 hundreds.

Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, speaking in Bombay on the eve of Australia's Test series against India, said Bradman's death is a huge loss to the game.

"He is probably the greatest cricketer who ever played the game. His loss is a big one, not only to Australia but to world cricket," he told reporters.

Australia's first match of a three-Test series starts in Bombay on Tuesday.

TRIBUTE:
'I am sure he is in a happy place now'

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Mail Cricket Editor