Thanks to Mahesh for such a lovely write-up! I am putting this article on my blog on behalf of him!!!Shane Warne became the first bowler to take 600 Test wickets when he had Marcus Trescothick caught behind on the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford. He reached the landmark in his 126th Test when, in his fifth over, Trescothick attempted a sweep and was caught behind off the back of the bat by Adam Gilchrist.
This is the Moment which came
first time in the history of cricket!! 600th wicket by any bowler in the history of the Game.
The Moment!!
Warne made his Test debut against India at Sydney in 1991-92, but he made his name at Old Trafford 12 years ago when, with his first ball in Test cricket against England, he bowled Mike Gatting with a viciously turning legbreak that pitched outside the batsman's pads and clipped the top of off-stump.
In the second Test at Edgbaston Warne, who returned figures of 10 for 162, became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a single foreign country. Before this match, Warne had taken 16 wickets in the first two Tests of the series at an average of 15.31 with a best of 6 for 46 in the second innings at Edgbaston.
The table below shows the major staging posts on the road to the world record.
Wkts Test No. Batsman Match1 1 Ravi Shastri Sydney 1991-92
100 23 Brian McMillan Adelaide 1993-94
200 42 Hashan Tillekeratne Perth 1995-96
300 63 Jacques Kallis Sydney 1997-98
400 92 Alec Stewart The Oval, 2001
500 108 Hashan Tillekeratne Galle 2003-04
600 126 Marcus Trescothick Old Trafford 2005
The Final Confirmation!!
In the second Test at Edgbaston Warne, who returned figures of 10 for 162, became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a single foreign country.
Shane Warne is regarded by many as the best leg spin bowler ever to play cricket. Despite an undistinguished debut performance against India in 1991, he has since revolutionised cricket thinking with his mastery of what many cricket authorities regarded as a dying art. Combining the ability to turn the ball huge distances, even on unhelpful pitches, with unerring accuracy and a wide variation of deliveries (notably including the flipper), he has become Australia's greatest ever wicket taker, with 600 wickets at a bowling average of 25.42. Many of his most spectacular performances have occurred in Ashes series against England, whose inexperience against legspin bowling made their players particularly vulnerable, though with feats like the famous "Gatting Ball" which spun furiously to bowl a bemused Mike Gatting in the 1993 series most of the credit is Warne's. Warne has also been highly effective bowling in one-day cricket, something few other leg spin bowlers have managed. Warne is also noted for his exuberant (and sometimes effective) lower-order batting (once famously throwing away his wicket on 99 with a Test century beckoning), and on several occasions has captained Australia effectively.
The Celebrations!!
Despite nearly universal recognition of Warne's talents, his reputation with fans and cricket authorities is mixed. In 1998, he was forced to admit that he had taken money to provide pitch and weather reports from a man later discovered to be operating with bookmakers. While such an offence was trivial compared to the likes of Hansie Cronje who took money to throw matches, the extreme naivete Warne avowed struck many observers as somewhat dubious. His exuberance and occasional intemperate remarks and actions on and off the field have also not endeared him to the more conservative parts of the cricketing public and officialdom. His private life has also been subjected to scrutiny by British tabloid newspapers.
If Shane Warne ever starts speaking of the nightmares he's had in his life or career, expect the words "Sachin Tendulkar" to warrant a few mentions.After a series of hammerings from the Master Blaster in 1998, Warne famously admitted that Tendulkar coming down the track to him had given him nightmares. He describes how he was "Tendul-corized" and hails the Indian as "number one" in the game.
NightMares!!!
After several years of indifferent performances, Warne had much success in the 2001 Ashes series in England.
In February 2003 during the 2003 cricket World Cup, Warne was sent home in sensational circumstances after a positive drugs test for a banned diuretic from the one-day series in Australia earlier in the year.
In a PR blitz Warne initially claimed that he took only one of what he called a "fluid tablet" - the prescription drug Moduretic - in an attempt to improve his appearance, and claimed ignorance of the banned nature of the tablet he took, as well as much of the drug policy of the Australian Cricket Board (despite extensive briefings on the matter in the past).
Charged with using "a prohibited method to enhance performance", Warne faced a two-year ban from cricket if found guilty. Extensive pressure was placed on the panel by comments from Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, who in comments described by the head of the Australian Sports Drug Agency as "highly inappropriate", poured scorn on Warne's excuse and stated that Australian sport was well-known for accusing others for cheating but was considerably less enthusiastic about prosecuting its own. Pound's comments were however at least partly endorsed by members of Olympic sports such as retired swimming champion Kieren Perkins, who expressed concern that a lenient verdict would make a mockery of Australia's stand against drugs in sport.
.........!!!
In the end, the panel found Warne guilty of breaching the ACB's drug code, and imposed a one-year ban. It was further revealed, and confirmed by Warne in a subsequent television interview, that he had actually taken two of the pills. Warne's testimony, and that of his mother's, was described by the panel as "vague and inconsistent". The panel decided against invoking the full two year ban because the drug would have had no performance-enhancing effect, there was no evidence that Warne was using the diuretic to mask steroid use, and that medical opinion stated that steroids would have not have enhanced Warne's recovery or assisted his game in any case. A disappointed Warne initially considered appealing, but decided against it, as several people, including Pound, pointed out that the penalty could have been increased if an appeal was made.
During his suspension he has considered working for the St. Kilda Saints Australian rules football club as an assistant coach, before the Australian Football League told the club that it would be inappropriate to have somebody convicted of sports drug offences advising its players. He has also been offered chance to play in various celebrity "park cricket" teams, and the newly renamed Cricket Australia has reserved its decision on whether Warne, as a contracted player, should be allowed to play in such matches.
Shane Warne currently has come under criticism for text messaging women whilst on tour, sending lewd and harassing messages. However the woman, Helen Cohen Alon, who made the claims has been charged with extortion in her own country.
During his enforced break from cricket due to suspension, Warne became a popular TV commentator for Channel 9 in Australia.
The Be$t!!!
On completion of his suspension Shane was immediately rushed back into the Victorian and the Australian test cricket team. He took his 500th test wicket, Hashan Tillakaratne, in the first test against Sri Lanka at Galle. He is only the second bowler after Courtney Walsh to do so, followed closely by his main spin bowling rival, Muttiah Muralitharan. However, Muralitharan beat him to the world record of 519 for the amount of test wickets taken, previously set by Courtney Walsh of the West Indies.
However, Warne will always be the first to 600 and today, with help from Trescothick, was his moonwalk. Remember the moment and treasure the name. What a discovery, what a record, what a ride.
The King!!!
What a Player !!!!
Most Aussie cricket fans say he'll do me
And they may add there's none so great as he
And each day he bowls there is expectancy
That he will claim more wickets maybe three.
The bowler the English never will forget
And one they will remember with regret
Their fans in silence watched their wickets fall
And such memories they may not want to recall.
With cricket ball he weaves a majic spell
And how good is Shane Warne? time can only tell
But of his greatness there can be no doubt
If West Indian batsmen fail to find him out.
The blond haired Shane Warne lives up to his name
As the top spin bowler in this cricket game
With cricket ball he weaves a majic spell
And how good is he? that time can only tell.
600th!!!
All writeup by Mahesh B. Rights reserved @ PNN.
--born2dre@m
