By The Update – If cricket had a rockstar, it was this bloke.
Time to crank the Warnie highlights reel to full volume. Because when Shane Keith Warne pulled on that Baggy Green (or the limited-overs kit with hair gel glistening), you knew something ridiculous was about to happen. Whether it was red ball, white ball, or “friendly” Ashes sledging with both, Warnie always delivered theatre.
7/56 vs England, The Gabba (1994–95 Ashes)
Format: Test
First Ashes Test in Oz. England riding high. Warnie turns up and destroys them.
Why it slapped
He spun it square on Day 1. Pitched it in Brisbane, turned it in Brisbane…but still made it unplayable. The Poms looked like they were batting with toothpicks.
The Update Verdict
This is when England collectively realised: he’s not just a good spinner – he’s their lifelong tormentor. Australia? Up 1-0. Warnie? Already in their nightmares.
5/33 vs South Africa, World Cup Semi-Final (1999)
Format ODI
Australia needed a hero. Enter Warnie. Semi-final. Pressure. Peak chokers South Africa.
Why it slapped
Bowled Gibbs through the gate. Sledged Hansie. Ripped through the middle order like a magician with a grudge. Match tied, but Australia through. Because Warnie happened.
The Update Verdict
Spin. Sledge. Swagger. This was peak Warne. When cricket needed its Jordan moment, he spun it in from another postcode.
‘Ball of the Century’ – 1/51 vs England, Old Trafford (1993 Ashes)
Format: Test
First ball of his Ashes career. Facing Gatting.
Why it slapped
You know it. We know it. Gatting didn’t. Ball drifted, dipped, pitched outside leg, clipped the top of off. Every pub in Australia still has a poster of it.
The Update Verdict
You don’t need seven wickets when one changes history. It was less “delivery” and more “religious experience.”
12/128 vs South Africa, Sydney Test (2006)
Format: Test
Final Test of a glittering Aussie summer. Warnie’s goodbye to home soil.
Why it slapped
12 wickets. One last spin masterclass on a crumbling SCG. Crowd roaring, team dominating, and Warnie winding back the clock with flight, guile and attitude.
The Update Verdict
SCG became the Church of Warne. Every delivery was a sermon. The farewell wasn’t quiet, it was a statement.
40 wickets in a single Ashes Series (2005)
Format: Test
England won the series…but Warnie won the cricket.
Why it slapped
Australia’s batting collapsed around him. He dropped Pietersen in the finale. But still, 40 wickets, in England, during a losing series. That’s cartoon-level greatness.
The Update Verdict
The only man who could lose a series and still come out with a statue. Every wicket was war. Every over was art.
Even English fans clapped. That says it all.
The Update’s Final Word
Shane Warne didn’t just perform – he commanded stages. From the Gabba to Lord’s to a World Cup semi-final, he turned pressure into performance.
Forget the stats for a sec. Every moment felt cinematic. Every spell a plot twist.
RIP Warnie. The pitch may fade, but the legend never will.
