by Mayukh Ghosh
January 10, 1951.
The overnight hero is late for the breakfast.
When he reaches the hotel's restaurant, he finds only one person sitting there.
His name is Donald Bradman.
He, it seems, was waiting for the man of the moment.
"There must be fifty blokes outside the front porch. They are not waiting for me. They must be waiting for you."
January 9, 1951.
Sydney Cricket Ground.
Australia takes a first innings lead of 136, primarily due to a Keith Miller century.
Post lunch, as they come out to field, 30,000 spectators wait in anticipation.
Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook.
The best of all England batsmen and the most stubborn among them.
Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller.
The best fast bowling pair in the world.
But they fail to dislodge the batsmen in their opening spells.
2:45 pm.
Lindsay Hassett throws the ball to his old Geelong College teammate.
The mystery spinner.
Jack Iverson.
Earlier in the day, he scored 1.
And thus equalled his highest Test score.
During his short stint at the crease, Miller told him: "You'll turn a yard on this."
Johnson at slip, Morris at point, Harvey in the covers.
A 3-6 field. But Hassett knows Jack doesn't bowl gentle looseners.
Two strong lbw appeals in the first over. Both gets turned down. But Jack knows it's a good day. They are all landing on the right spots....
Another maiden follows.
Then, in the third over, out comes the leg-break.
Hutton fails to get to the pitch of the ball which kisses the outside edge of his bat before reaching Johnson's hands.
It comes out of Johnson's hands but Tallon is alert and pouches it.
They have no idea how to score off him. Washbrook hits two boundaries at the other end but then a wrong 'un proves to be good enough for Simpson. Tallon takes a sharp chance down the leg-side.
And then Washbrook becomes impatient, advances down the wicket and misses the wrong 'un.
4 pm. Tea break.
JB Iverson 10 5 11 3
Hassett allows him to lead the team off the field.
"Said you'd turn it, son.", says Miller while patting on his back.
Trevor Bailey and Doug Wright are injured and unlikely to bat.
Denis Compton and Gilbert Parkhouse resume the battle.
The hero from the Bylcreem Summer who brings with him an unmatched aura.
And the brightest among the Glamorgan youngsters who created news in 1948.
Compton usually sweeps bowlers pitching Iverson's line. But here he abstains himself from doing it.
The overspin Iverson is generating is too dangerous for sweep shots.
Parkhouse gets himself run out but Compton and Brown somehow avoids getting out.
5:15 pm.
JB Iverson 18 8 26 3.
Hassett gives him a break and brings Miller back into the attack.
Relaxing fatally, Compton brings his own downfall and the same fate awaits Evans.
But England, keen to make Australia bat again, allows Bailey to come out to bat, with the broken thumb in a cast.
Immediately Hassett whistles up Iverson from his twenty minute break.
Brown plays all round a top spinner.
Bedser decides to leave a wrong 'un which pitches way outside his off stump.
It hits his leg stump.
John Warr, already demoralised, lasts one ball.
Australia win by an innings and 13 runs.
And retain the Ashes.
JB Iverson 19.4 8 27 6.
They all run out of the ground. Before Iverson reaches the dressing-room, Miller puts the match ball in Iverson's pocket.
"Here, you deserve this."
Three magical hours.
Jack Fingleton writes in his match report: "....bowled as well on this day as I have seen an Australian spinner bowl."
According to Melbourne Herald's Percy Millard, "Australia's greatest match winner since Bradman."
He also makes Neville Cardus 'gladly eat the words'.
And then, out of the blue, Iverson tells the journalists: "I have been wondering whether I should continue and even after today's enjoyment I might decide to give up the game right away."
Has any cricketer ever done this?
On the greatest day of his career, he surprises everyone with thoughts of retirement.
Iverson was worried about his father Harry's health.
He was down with rheumatoid arthritis.
"I love my cricket and I don't want to give it up yet but I cannot make a decision until Friday night when I'll have a long talk with my father in Melbourne."
Harry wanted Jack to join the family business once again and. moreover, there was no money in cricket.
In the end, he did play on, informing selector Jack Ryder on January 13 that he would be available for the rest of the summer but not afterwards.
In January 1951, for a month or two, Jack Iverson was the most popular sportsperson in Australia.