He had somewhat of a lethargic runup to the crease. Just a few paces along, a small hop and unveils a ripping leg-break. The ball pitches exactly on the spot he envisioned and makes the batsman dance to the tune of the ball. It was always like he could control the ball. Such was his mastery over his craft. It was none other than Shane Warne the greatest spinner of his era.
It was a period when fast bowling was in the ascendancy. The likes of India and Sri Lanka, where spinners have always ruled the roost were thinking of developing fast bowlers. Spin bowling and spinners around the world were losing patronage. Captains weren’t willing to use spinners as an attacking weapon. At the most, they ended up holding one end and leave the rest to the fast bowlers. The famous West Indian bowlers of the 70s, 80s & 90s had firmly swayed almost every board’s opinion towards bowlers who can bowl fast.
It will not be wrong to state that it was Shane Warne who made spin bowling and that too, leg spin fashionable. A whole generation of Australian youngsters turned to leg spin and tried to spin the ball like Warne. Even today, whenever, in some corner of the world, if a child spins the ball, it is Warne who is immediately tagged and his view sought. The impact that Warne has had on the game cannot be quantified. It will always remain enormous.
Gatting delivery
Warne announced his arrival on the international scene with what is now known as “The Ball of the Century” or “The Gatting Ball”. A leg spin that pitched on the 6th stump down the leg and hit top of off. Gatting stood there for a few seconds. He just could not believe it. The specific delivery would have got anyone. Until then, no one had spun the ball and that too from a negative line. There are enough articles written about that delivery and hence I do not want to get indepth of that one.
Basit Ali
Shane Warne’s bowling was more of poetry in action. He was a master in mind games. Quite a few player’s career were ended by Warne well ahead of their time. A couple of such players were Basit Ali and Daryl Cullinan. If there is one beautiful example of the kind of mind games that Warne can perform, it was against Basit Ali back in 1995 at Sydney. Here he was, bowling the last ball of the day. Basit Ali made him and the Australians wait throughout the last over to ensure that there wasn’t one more. Warne, the ever showman, called Ian Healy over, just before the last ball. Now it is his turn to make Basit Ali wait. He could clearly see Basit Ali getting nervous and frustrated. All he wanted to do was to play out the delivery and return to the confines of the cosy pavilion.
Warne would have none of that. He made Basit Ali sweat. Warne and Healy, as he would later reveal did not discuss about the game at all. They were talking about dinner but that was enough for Basit Ali to become nervous.
Warne went towards the mark, ambled in and let rip a ferocious leg spinner that pitched on well outside of the leg stump and Basit Ali was bowled around his legs. The delivery was as good as the Gatting delivery. Only difference being that this one hit the leg stump around Basit’s pads. The magician in Warne had risen to the call. These sort of deliveries only Warne could conjure. It was so poetic to watch.
Allan Border, Warne’s first captain
Allan Border, who was the captain when Warne made his debut, actually delayed his decision to retire so that he could watch something special during the last days of his playing career. He liked what he saw. Warne on his first series was treated like a school kid by the Indians but Border kept the faith and Warne repaid that faith in Sri Lanka with a series winning spell.
1993 good ploy to Hick
Then came the tour that really showed the world the real Shane Warne. The England tour of 1993. The English press expected a lot from Warne and at the same time they were confident that their batsmen were capable of handling him. Before the start of the series, the Australians played some warm up games one on which Graeme Hick, the Zimbabwe born British was involved. Hick was thought to be a tremendous talent and as such they English were keen to see how he went against Warne. True to form, Hick absolutely mastered Shane Warne in that tour game. He scored against Warne by sending the 5.5 ounce to all parts of the boundary. The English truly believed that they have conquered Warne and it was only a matter of time before they regained The Ashes.
As it turned out later, Allan Border did not want Warne to reveal his skills in the very first tour game lest the English batsmen will probably be able to play him well in the subsequent series.
“We didn’t want to show England anything, that we had this kid up our who we suspected could be the real deal. I was really excited about what I was seeing and what he potentially could bring to the table so I was keen to keep him under wraps.” he added.
Warne was however frustrated and he really wanted to use his complete repertoire but Border prevailed over him. Eventually, Warne went on to bamboozle England in the series and Australia won 4-1. Alas, if only Border had known that even after 15 years, England still weren’t able to read Warne any better, he wouldn’t have cared in that first game.
Daryl Cullinan
Cullinan, the South African batsman became Warne’s bunny in a rather short time. He just wasn’t able read Warne in any format of the game. Whenever Cullinan walks in, Warne walks alongside him. The hold Warne had over Cullinan was extraordinary. It would be fair to say that Warne finished the cricket career of Cullinan. Warne made Cullinan surrender to him. It was bullying at its best. It felt thrilling, funny and awful. All at the same period.
Warne said about Cullinan “Usually when I give him a serve he just looks down at the ground.”
There was one instance when Cullinan opened the innings in an ODI game. He must have thought that Warne who usually comes on in the middle of the innings will not open. As such, he will have the overs to get himself a good score. However, to his horror, Warne opened the bowling and got Cullinan first ball.
Warne’s hold over other batsmen of his era are stuff of legends.
to be continued….
Other topics related to Australia can be read here, here and here.