Bradman's Greatest Hour: How Australia Came From 2-0 Down to Win the Ashes
The 1936-37 Ashes series saw Australia mount a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against England. This series followed the contentious Bodyline era; England's captain was Gubby Allen, with Douglas Jardine retired, Harold Larwood absent, and Bill Voce participating.
Don Bradman faced personal tragedy, as his first-born son died six weeks before the series, which contributed to his early low scores of 38, 0, 0, and 82 in his first four innings.
The third Test at Melbourne was pivotal. Heavy rain had produced a sticky wicket, leading to Bradman's strategic declaration at 200 for 9, which triggered a dramatic collapse in the English batting lineup. The match saw a record crowd of over 87,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Bradman outsmarted England with tactical ploys, including delaying declarations and using tail-enders to pad up. He then scored 270 runs in 437 minutes and, together with Jack Fingleton, set a world-record sixth-wicket partnership of 346 runs.
The series continued with Australia winning the subsequent Test at Adelaide by 148 runs. Bradman scored 212 in this match, leveling the series at 2-2.
In the final Test, Bradman contributed 169 runs, helping Australia secure a 200-run victory and complete the comeback.
Bradman's innings of 270 was later named the greatest innings of all time by Wisden in 2001. The cricket writer Neville Cardus described the series as a testament to character. Notably, Bradman never lost a series as captain.
