Half a century after he played his last Test and eight years since his death, the legacy of Sir Donald Bradman continues to live on, says espnstar.com's Rajarshi Gupta.

Born 101 years ago on this day in Cootamundra in New South Wales in Australia, Bradman changed the way cricket was played in era of brutal competition for the Ashes with staunch rivals, England.

The Don belonged to a different league of men. He was born to attain greatness and leave his mark on the game like no other could possibly ever do.

Many feel Bradman would have been a huge success even in modern day cricket, with its fast paced ways.

The man blossomed like never before during Australia’s tour of England in 1930, when he amassed 974 runs in the series and blasted 309 runs at Headingley in a day’s play.

England were at the receiving end of his genius for close to two decades and it was not before the Ashes in 1932-33, when Douglas Jardine asked tearaway Harold Larwood to bowl what came to be known as the infamous ‘Bodyline’ and try and curb the run machine Bradman had become.

Click here for Bradman's images

Yes, the giant bowed but he still averaged well over 50 though Australia lost the series after the lesser mortals in the batting department found it impossible to cope with the lethal deliveries targeted at their bodies. If nothing else, the series was a tribute to the greatest batsmen in the planet.

Bradman is a part of cricketing folklore and not just because of the way he played the game. He was a proven administrator, selector and a more importantly, a great statesman for the game.

India were hit by the storm as well. In five Tests against India, Bradman averaged a whooping with four hundreds and one fifty.

Back in 1996, Bradman heaped praises on India’s modern master Sachin Tendulkar, who he thought was the closest to his style of play. The old timers did agree. There were flashes of the Don in the Little Master.

There will never be another like Bradman, no one questions that. A career that saw him touch new peaks every year is well documented. He may be no more but the legend still inspires hundreds of international cricketers every year. Can there be another batsman with an average, touching nearly 100?

The fanatics will wait with abated breath.

Want to remember Sir Don on his birthday? Write in to us at fanspeak@espnstar.co.in