As the cricketing world prepares for the Ashes series between England and Australia, the oldest rivalry in the sport’s history, it is time to revisit a delivery that changed the life of a young boy from Victoria who was aiming to revive the art of leg spin.
The youngster from Victoria in question is late spin great Shane Warne, who in the 1993 Ashes delivered a ball that would not only change his life but also the trajectory of leg spin as an art form in Tests.
It was June 4, 1993, at England’s Old Trafford. Warne, who had taken just 31 wickets in 11 Test matches up to that point, was preparing to deliver his first ball on English soil.
Mike Gatting, a stocky Middlesex batter, was ready to face Warne. Gatting was one of the best players in spin at that time. So dealing with a rookie like Warne would not have been a big issue for him.
But destiny had other plans, and it favoured Warne’s skills. The ball landed wide of Gatting’s leg stump but spun sharply to knock back Gatting’s off-stump. Gatting was left confused and unable to progress with what happened. But the finger of the umpire went up, and he had to go, muttering his feelings of shock to himself.
What followed after that was Warne’s dominance across the world. The leg spinner conquered every country possible with his signature ‘flippers’ and sharp turners. His blonde hair and charismatic personality contributed further to the development of the legend that was ‘Warnie’.
A lot of youngsters would emulate Warne’s bowling style and action.
