New Delhi [India], June 15 : 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 and a part-time spinner, was ready to face Warne. Gatting was one of the best players of spin from that time. So to deal with a rookie Warne would have not been a big issue for him.
But destiny had other plans and it favoured Warne's skills. The ball landed wide of leg stump but spun sharply to knock back Gatting's off-stump. Gatting was left confused, unable to progress 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. Many of the young, up-and-coming spinners were touted to be the next Shane Warne.
Due to the sheer level of skill, execution and influence in later years, the ball earned the tag of 'Ball of the Century'.
In 2021, Warne admitted in an Instagram post that the ball changed his life.
"This day changed my life 28 years ago (1993). I was just 23 years old and playing in my first ever #ashes series & this was my first ball. Still can't believe it happened. Thanks for missing it Mr Gatting & making this ball become what is now known as the #ballofthecentury hahaha," said Warne on Instagram.
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Warne passed away at the age of 52 in Thailand due to a heart attack.
Warne finished his international career with 708 Test wickets and a further 293 in One-Day Internationals, placing him second on the list of all-time international wicket-takers behind his great friend and rival Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka at 1,347.
At the top of the Ashes wicket-takers list is Warne. The Australian has played 36 matches and took 195 wickets. His best bowling figure was 8/71.
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