To Indians Bradman was God says, Sunil Gavaskar

Mumbai, February 26: India's most famous batsman Sunil Gavaskar paid his tributes to the Australian icon Sir Donald Bradman on Monday and stated that he was a God to cricket fans in India.

"The cricketing world assumed that like his batting, he would score a century in life as well," Gavaskar said in a message of condolence following the death."

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, "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."

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