(This is entirely written from memory, excuse the masala if any)
He would zero in on the prey slowly, patiently, stealthily, before delivering the killer blow at the least expected moment. Shane Warne was a spinner with hunter’s instincts.
His dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar in a Test in Australia best illustrates the description. Delivery after delivery, he pitched leg breaks on the middle stump or off stump. Tendulkar would go on the front foot and leave it, watching the ball turn away from him safely. Warne kept at it, it seemed, forever. Tendulkar did the same. The cat and mouse game went on for some time. And then Warne bowled a flipper. It pitched on the middle stump and went straight. Tendulkar once again left the ball, expecting a leg break, only to be caught LBW.
Warne was a natural at mind games.
Last ball of the day. Pakistan’s Basit Ali at the crease. Warne calls the captain, changes the field, shuffles the players around. Quite pointless it would seem given that it is the last ball of the day. Basit only has one thing to do – that is not get out. Warne is about to start, but stops. He decides to bowl round the wicket. Again quite pointless given that it is the last ball of the day. And Basit decides to do what he has to do – come what may, don’t get out. In his mind, Basit has decided he will block the ball with his legs. He can’t get out LBW to a ball pitched outside the leg stump. He can’t get out giving a catch if he blocking the ball with his leg. Very simple, very logical, very clever, very doable. Warne comes, bowls into the rough patch, Basit moves his left leg but suspects it is not in line with the ball, so moves his leg again, in the meantime the ball has gone through his legs and hit the stumps.
That was Warne.
Watching him play, you felt the same excitement you got watching Malcom Marshall, Michael Holding, Curtly Ambrose, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Dennis Lillee…. Warne was a spinner with fast bowler’s aggression.
When Warne is on the field, there is fear among the rivals, and expectancy among fans, that something is about to happen.
1999 - the World Cup Australia came back from behind to win. Some of the credit goes Warne’s inspiring pep talks. We saw flashes of that brilliant mind in the first IPL, when he led a mediocre Rajasthan Royals to a title win.
Shane Warne was the best captain Australia never had.
Everyone knows about the ball of the century. No need to retell that story. I don’t know about Gatting, but even now fans like us have not come to terms with that dismissal. How can one bowl over the wicket, hit the pitch outside the leg stump, and turn the ball enough to clip the bail on the offstump? That is perfection measured in nanometers. One degree lesser turn, the ball hits the bat, one degree more, it misses the stump. You can calculate the angle and height of the delivery with scale and protractor for hours but you can’t crack that one mate. Not for nothing was it called the ball of the century.
Warne was a true magician.
