Shane Warne’s exit as surprising as his Ball of the Century

By Bipin Dani

“You will put your name in the record books”, was the first sentence umpire Dickie Bird had uttered to Shane Warne.

“It was when he bowled that “magic ball” to Mike Gatting”, former England umpire Bird, speaking to this Reporter over the telephone from England said.

The delivery to Gatting is also known as the Ball of the Century.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3V-sYH0Sks

“He delivered that ball from my end. It was Warne’s first Test match on English soil (Old Trafford, June 1953)”.

“Warne had a slow run-up of just a few steps, and he delivered a leg break to the right-handed Gatting. The ball initially travelled straight down the pitch towards the batsman. Gatting could not read the turn of the ball, which ended up pitching several inches outside the line of Gatting’s leg stump and Gatting lost his wicket”.

Not only Gatting but Bird standing 22 years away was surprised with the turn of the ball.

“It was a great delivery and the best I had ever seen bowled. Truly a magic delivery”.

“At the end of the over, I told Warne, “you will put your name in the record book. There were certain more occasions when I met Warne and every time, he recalled the incident”.

Sadly, Warne’s exit from the world is as surprising as his Ball of the Century. But more shocking.