One of the greatest players of cricket in the history of the game, legendary Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has passed away at the age of 52 in Thailand. Heart attack is suspected to be the cause of his death. However, Warne’s legend will live on till the game itself is there, and one of the reasons behind this would be his famous ‘Ball of the Century’.
On June 4, 1993, Shane Warne produced a stunning delivery in the First Ashes Test against England. Mike Gatting, who was one of the toughest batsmen at that time, was at the strike. The ball went into air with the precision of a wooden whirligig and deceived Gatting like a fine magic trick. The next Gatting knew was a roaring celebration from the Australians that announced the arrival of a blonde hero.
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This was also a turning point in the way Test matches were played in the 90s. It was all about steaming, whispering fast bowlers with aggression making them appear more lethal than they probably were. ‘That Ball’ started the second era of spinners who were as much a match winner as a batsman always playing on the backfoot.
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Later, Warne became a legend in himself whose style statements were as colourful as his flippers.
