Victor Trumper was a class apart among all Australian batsmen who came before him in the 19th century and in the early parts of the 20th century. Bound with a solid technique and the ability to shift gears when the situation demanded, he could dish out orthodox strokes and could also play the field. A fantastic century at Lord's in only his third Test innings showed the world what he was capable of. He went on to breach the three-figure mark seven more times and the visible pattern was his hunger to make daddy centuries. It is said that the caliber of a batsman shines through when he has to perform on challenging pitches and that was Trumper's hallmark. He could make a really difficult pitch to appear as a decent deck to bat on, such was his class. The trademark Trumper stroke was the pull shot which he executed even against deliveries that weren't all that short. It unsettled bowlers who had to think twice before peppering him with the short stuff. In many ways, Trumper was a complete batsman who had no comparison when he was on song. Not a surprise then that he was the most popular of the Australian batsmen of his times.

Unlike most batsmen, Trumper's gameplay didn't decline with age. If anything, it only get better despite his batting relying heavily on hand-eye coordination. Hard to believe for those who didn't watch him bat but there wasn't anything that Trumper couldn't do. In the final season of his cricketing career, he ended up notching his first ever double ton against the South Africans in Adelaide. He had earlier produced another 150-plus score in the same series. For a man with all the gifts in the world, the fatal tragedy was his physical health which started to deteriorate as he moved into his late 30s. He died at a very young age of 37 after suffering for a lengthy period with Bright's disease. During his playing days, Trumper had opened a co-business, a sports shop that he initiated with a friend of his. Apart from his impeccable cricketing skills, he was also a strong rugby player.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan