Birthday special: Shane Warne – Top five spell by Australian spin wizard
One of the finest, if not the finest, spinners to have stepped onto the cricket field, Shane Warne turns 52 on Monday (September 13). The former Australian leg-spinner was indeed a magician as he could turn the ball on the flattest of surfaces. In fact, Warne played the majority of his cricket on pace-friendly Australian tracks. However, his records across formats are nothing but jaw-dropping.
Making his international debut in 1992, Warne didn’t take long in cementing his place in the side. He was also instrumental in Australia’s meteoric rise in world cricket. From Melbourne to Cape Town and Dubai, Warne made the ball talk in every condition as Australia registered many memorable triumphs. Warne retired from international in 2007 but not before scalping 708 and 293 wickets in 145 Tests and 194 ODIs.
As Shane Warne turns a year older, let’s revisit five of his finest spells.
4/29 vs South Africa in 1999
Now, who can forget the Australia vs South Africa clash in the 1999 World Cup semi-final? Shane Warne also played a crucial part in taking the Aussies to the finals. Defending 213 in Birmingham, the leg-spinner ran through the Proteas team’s top-order and took four wickets. As a result, the game was tied but Australia qualified to the summit on the virtue of finishing above South Africa in group stages.
5/33 vs West Indies in 1996
Warne unleashed his A-game when Australia met West Indies in the second match of the 1996 Tri-Series. The Caribbean side opted to bat first in Sydney and the decision never seemed fruitful. The star leg-spinner registered his first and only five-wicket haul in ODIs as West Indies was skittled out for 161. Australia comfortably went on to win the game by eight wickets.
6/48 vs England in 1997
Another Shane Warne special was witnessed during the third Test of 1997 Ashes in England. With Australia posting 235 while batting first, the home team looked in command in Manchester. However, Warne took a six-fer as England got bundled out for 162 runs. The talismanic cricketer took three more wickets in the second innings as the visitors won by 268 runs.
6/86 vs South Africa in 2006
Although the Durban track is traditionally known to favour pacers, Shane Warne defied odds during the second Test of Australia’s 2006 tour of South Africa. The veteran leg-spinner bowled an exceptional spell in the last innings as the Proteas side suffered humiliation in front of their home crowd. Overall, Warne took six wickets as the Aussie side won by 112 runs.
8/71 vs England in 1994
It was the first Test of 1994/95 Ashes and a young Shane Warne tormented English batters in Brisbane. Having taken three wickets in England’s first innings, Warne spun his web in the last innings as England batsmen looked utterly clueless. The leg-spinner took eight wickets as Australia walked away with a 184-run win.
