Remembering Shane Warne
Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
It is really shocking news that Australian great spinner Shane Warne died due to a heart attack. Warne was regarded as one of the greatest-ever bowlers in the history of the sport as he was an integral part of the dominant Australian sides in the 1990s and early 2000s.
He was known throughout the cricketing world without question as one of the true icons of world cricket, a man who almost singlehandedly revived the art of leg spin in the early 1990s. He was one of the greatest-ever cricketers to have played the sport, picked up 708 wickets in 145 Tests. His career spanned over 15 years from 1992 to 2007. He was also a World Cup winner with Australia in 1999.
Warne was also part of five Ashes-winning teams against England during his career. Talented from a young age, he earned a sports scholarship to study at Mentone Grammar. He first represented the University of Melbourne Club in the Victoria Cricket Association Under-16 Dowling Shield competition.
He was one of the greatest spinners, the man who made spin bowling look cool. There were three elements to Shane Warne’s greatness-skill, novelty and drama- and all were manifest in the one great delivery that made his name, at Old Trafford in 1993.
Warne made his Test debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1992 and rose to become a key figure across all formats in one of the greatest sustained periods of dominance by any team in world cricket.
The triumph of Warne was of the rarest kind, of both substance and style together. At his best, he had the ruthlessness of a clinician and the flourish of a performer, and his bowling is simultaneously a technical and dramatic masterpiece.
He was the most prolific wicket taker in Australian Test cricket history. In 145 Test matches he took 708 Test wickets at an average of 25.41. He took a further 293 wickets in one day internationals to take the total of wickets taken for Australia beyond 1000.Warne, who represented Australia between 1992-2007,was the second-highest wicket-taker across formats.
He made his international debut on 2nd January 1990 at Sydney, in a test match against India. His debut was nothing eye-catching as he took just one wicket while conceding 150 runs.
Similar dismal performances saw him being dropped out of the team. On 2nd January 1994, Warne took 12 wickets in the second Test match against South Africa, asserting himself as a vital cog of the Australian bowling, despite his team losing the match by five runs.
Warne held the record for most wickets (708) in Test cricket until December 2007, when he was surpassed by Muralitharan. He was also second person to take 1000 wickets in International cricket after Muralitharan.
A life and professional career which witnessed numerous memorable and controversial moments over the years. He produced what became known as the ‘Ball of the Century’ with his first delivery of the 1993 Ashes tour, bowling Mike Gatting with a ball that turned from well outside leg stump to clip the off bail, instantly writing himself into folklore.
Warne will always be remembered as a quintessential entertainer who will be credited as the greatest leg-spinner of all time.
(The author is a columnist based in Ahmadabad)
