[Watch] Shane Warne’s memorable “ball of the century” to England’s Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes

[Watch] Shane Warne’s memorable “ball of the century” to England’s Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes

When we think of the memorable moments in the game of cricket, no one can forget the legendary cricketer Shane Warne’s delivery to Mike Gatting in the Ashes series in 1993.

The blond and earring wearing Warne were busy making his name in international cricket. But an incident took place at Manchester’s Old Trafford in England when he got the chance to show off his skill in the 1993 high-profile Ashes series which is played between Australia and England. No one saw it coming. His first delivery in the Ashes not only took Gatting by surprise but left the entire cricket world mesmerized. The ball took an unexpected curve after being pitched outside the leg, knocking Gatting’s off-stump and making him completely perplexed. This delivery claims a grandiose title of “ball of the century”, turning Warne into a star overnight.

He played a significant role in Allan Border-led Australia’s unforgettable series win against England in the Ashes. He was also the Player of the Series as Australia defeated England 4-1. In the first innings, he bagged 4 wickets, giving 51 runs at Manchester. He bagged another 4 wickets and gave 86 runs in the second inning.

“Ball of the century was a fluke. Really, I never did it again, but I think it was meant to be. As a leg-spinner we always want to bowl a perfect leg-spinner, it changed my life both on and off the field. Mike Gatting was the best player of spin in England’s team, so it was a special moment,” said Warne in a video shared by ICC.

Also Read | Virat Kohli’s 100th Test: Sachin Tendulkar remembers when he first heard Virat Kohli’s name

Shane Warne’s Style of delivering the ball

Shane Warne

“Warnie” as he was affectionately being called, singlehandedly revived the art of leg-spin in the early 1990s. He mastered the art of leg-spin which requires practice and discipline. His bowling style and charismatic personality, and everything about him gained him lots of admirers.

Speaking of his style, first, he leisurely walks and takes two or three small steps before delivering the ball. His release positions for bowling different deliveries- googly, top spinner- is almost the same.

He was named Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century. The iconic spinner made his debut in 1992 and retired from the game in 2007. He has played 145 Tests for Australia and picked a total of 708 wickets. He has also represented the World Cup-winning team of 1999. Post-retirement, Warne led the team, as the captain and coach of Rajasthan Royals to their first victory in the inaugural season of the IPL 2008.

Just four days ago, he claimed of gaining health again in a tweet.

“Operation shred has started (10 days in) & the goal by July is to get back to this shame from a few years ago! Let’s go #healthy #fitness #feelgoodfriday”

Unfortunately, the sad news of his demise came today when he died, aged 52, of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui in Thailand.

Also Read | ‘Singam in Surat’ – MS Dhoni joins CSK camp in Surat ahead of IPL 2022