Australia lost heavily by ten wickets in the first Test at Sydney , when the bowling spearhead of bodyline , Harold Larwood , took ten wickets . Bradman missed the first Test due to illness , although Jardine refused to believe this and thought the real reason was that the batsman had suffered a nervous breakdown due to his tactical scheme . The only Australian batsman to make an impact was Stan McCabe , who resolutely stood his ground and impulsively hooked and pulled everything aimed at his upper body , undeterred by the prospect of taking a potentially lethal blow to the head . He scored 187 not out in four hours , an innings described by leading historian David Frith as " among the most stirring innings Test cricket have ever produced " .