India, Jan. 26 -- For 75 years, it sat out of sight - a small, dark-green relic of cricket history, handled with the kind of caution usually reserved for jewellery or heirloom letters. On Sunday, that secrecy ended in spectacular fashion when a Don Bradman baggy green, worn during the 1947-48 series against India, went under the hammer in Australia.

The cap sold for A$460,000 (£232,000), the highest price ever fetched by a Bradman-worn cap. Once the 16.5% buyer's premium of A$75,900 was added, the final amount paid rose to A$535,900.

What makes this one different isn't just the number - it's the journey. Bradman had given the cap to India all-rounder Sriranga Wasudev Sohoni, and Sohoni's family preserved it for the past 75 years. O...