Shane Warne was a force of nature. He not only redefined but also revived the dying art of leg-spin. Warne who made his debut in 1991 just took two years to announce himself to the world. His ‘ball of the century in the 1993 Ashes made the Shane Warne Records in the cricket world go ballistic.
He was a man for the big moments. A World Cup winner (1999), an IPL winning captain (2008), there is very little that Warne didn’t do. His passing away came as a shock to the entire world. We remember him not just for what he did on the cricket field but also for his passionate contributions to it.
StumpsandBails looks at the top 10 Shane Warne Records in Cricket:
1. The First bowler to pick 700 Test wickets:
Shane Warne was the first bowler to scale the mountain of 700 Test wickets. He was involved in a career-long fierce rivalry with Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali had a longer career as compared to Warne. This aspect showed when Murali ended up with 800 Test wickets. But when it came to picking 700 wickets, it was the magician called Warne who reached the summit first. Andrew Strauss was his 700th Test wicket. Warne ended up with 708 Test wickets.
2. Wisden’s cricketer of the century:
Wisden in 2000 named Shane Warne as the cricketer of the century along with 4 other fellow cricketers. The rich list included names like Jack Hobbs, Sir Don Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, and Sir Viv Richards. Warne sure was in elite company. He always has been!
3. 1000 international wickets:
Shane Warne is the only second bowler to have picked 1000 international wickets along with Muralitharan. He has 708 Test wickets while he picked up 293 ODI wickets. His brilliance was written all over with the ball. Warne turned up at the crease and picked wickets for fun.
4. Most Run without a century:
Shane Warne holds the record for scoring most Test runs without registering a Test century. He amassed 3,154 runs in the game’s longest format but sadly failed to register a ton. His highest score ironically in Tests is 99. Warne played 145 Tests batting in 199 innings but the century landmark eluded him while batting. But he was no mug with the bat as he was more than handy with the bat down the order.
5. The First player to be picked in the IPL auction:
Rajasthan Royals were the first team to buy a player in the first-ever mega auction in 2008. They went to pick Shane Warne for $450,000. Shane Warne thus went on to become the first-ever player picked in the IPL auction. He was also the first Royals player.
6. The First IPL winning Captain:
Shane Warne was appointed the captain of the Rajasthan Royals side no sooner he was picked in the auctions. The Royals team were mocked, laughed at, and were drubbed as a team of rag-tags. But Warne was someone who always loved a fight. He inspirationally led his side in the Inaugural IPL season in 2008. Royals finished at the top in the points table. They went on to defeat a much-fancied Chennai side in the finals. It was Shane Warne Records, quite fittingly, who hit the winning runs!
7. Most wickets in a calendar year:
Shane Warne was bowling at a different level in 2005. He made a stellar comeback in whites post suffering a year-long suspension. Warne had a fantastic 2005. He picked up 96 wickets in 15 games. Warne was Australia’s player of the series in the epic 2005-Ashes. He picked up 6 five-wicket hauls in that period. His bowling strike rate was a brilliant 45.1 at an average of 22.02.
8. Most 5-wicket hauls in an innings:
The fact that Shane Warne played a large number of his games in conditions that didn’t suit spin bowling makes his numbers look even more lethal. Warne picked 37 five-wicket hauls in a career that spanned over 145 Tests. He ranks second in this all-time of bowlers with the most number of 5-wicket hauls. Muralitharan (66) with 67 five-wicket hauls tops this list.
9. Most wickets in the Ashes:
Warne loved playing the Ashes. He signed off his Test career with a 5-0 sweep over England. Warne always had a telling impact in the Ashes. The English batsmen never really had a clue facing up to the legend. Barring a couple of instances, it was Warne who emerged on top. He finished with 195 Ashes wickets. This surely is an improbable record!
10. The ‘Ball of the Century:
Shane Warne arrived in the cricketing world in 1993 with a ball that left everyone dazzled. He opened his account with a stunning ball that left everyone in awe of his magic. Warne bowled over the wicket to Mike Gatting. The ball pitched on a leg stump with drift. Gatting looked to tuck the ball on the leg side. But followed next to a sight that will keep playing for centuries to come.
The ball dipped in front of Gatting’s bat and went on to hit the top of the off-stump. This trickery, this skill, this guile was never seen before. A magician had arrived! The ball was rightly termed the ‘Ball of the Century was one of the Shane Warne Records.
Shane Warne leaves us with innumerable memories. He weaved his magic every time he took the ball in his hands. The wizard is done with earth, he will now light up the heavens!
