Epic deliveries in cricket history: Cricket has increasingly become a batsmen’s game especially post the advent of T20 cricket. Bats have become bigger, and boundaries have become shorter giving very little room for bowlers to flourish. The bowlers constantly need to evolve to stay ahead in the game.
It is this desperation that led to slower balls, cutters, and mystery spinners in the game. Few deliveries though have their own special place in the game. The context, the stakes, and the moment all amplify the ball’s magic.
We look at 5 epic deliveries in cricket history:
#5 Ravichandran Ashwin’s T20 ball of the century
It was the semifinal of the T20 World Cup in 2014. South Africa batted first after winning the toss against India. Hashim Amla was looking in fine touch until Ravichandran Ashwin came to the bowling crease. Ashwin chose to bowl round the wicket. He bowled one of his famous carrom balls. It pitched on the leg stump deceiving Amla and went on to hit the off stump. Amla was bewildered and so were the fans!
#4 Mitchell Starc’s away angler to James Vince
There is a different vibe to Mitchell Starc bowling round the wicket to right-handers. He went round the wicket to James Vince in the Ashes Test. Starc bowled one into the right-hander. The ball hit a crack on good length in line with the middle stump. Vince was looking to play the ball across the leg side. The ball seamed away sharply and went on to hit the off stump. Starc himself was surprised looking at the way the ball behaved.
#3 Murali magic against Mark Butcher
The wickets in England traditionally don’t offer much to the spinners. Muttiah Muralitharan though wasn’t any ordinary spinner. He chose to bowl over the wicket to left-handed, Mark Butcher. The southpaw was one of the better players of spin.
Murali bowled one on the good length in line with the leg stump. The batter tried defending with a straight bat. Little did anyone know that the ball will drift across to the off stump. The ball did just that and went to dislodge Butcher’s off stump!
#2 Jasprit Bumrah’s slow burn
India was keen to pick another wicket before lunch in the Boxing Day Test at MCG. It was the last ball of the session and Shaun Marsh looked settled to negate any threat. Running up to the bowling mark, Jasprit Bumrah had a conversation with Rohit Sharma. Bumrah came in round the wicket to left-handed, Marsh.
The fast bowler delivered one of the most epic slower balls in cricketing history. Bumrah’s slower one outfoxed Marsh to trap him in front. The umpire had little doubt in raising his finger. Bumrah’s genius swayed the game in India’s favour.
#1 Shane Warne’s ball of the century
The king of spin, Shane Warne introduced himself to world cricket. It was the first game of Ashes and Shane Warne was brought into the attack. The world didn’t know of the wizard that Warne was. Warne came over the wicket to right-handed Mike Gatting.
The ball pitched on good length seeming to be drifting down the leg. Gatting prodded forward to meet the ball on the leg stump. To his utter dismay, the ball spun a mile and went on to hit the top of the off-stump. Gatting was shocked. Warne exulted in knowing what he unfurled at the batsman. It was rightly coined the ‘ball of the century’.
