3 Shane Warne records that might never be broken
March 4, 2023, marks the first death anniversary of legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne, who captivated the cricketing world with his art. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the sport, he certainly departed the world when he had a lot more to offer.
Warne made his debut during the iconic Sydney Test against India in 1992 and claimed Ravi Shastri's scalp as his maiden Test wicket. While his initial exposure to international cricket was lukewarm at best, he picked on from there. The Australian ultimately finished with 708 Test wickets and 293 ODI wickets to mark an illustrious career.
Over the course of his career, the legendary spinner gifted the world with several iconic moments. From the 'ball of the century' to his legendary displays in the semi-finals of the 1996 and 1999 ODI World Cups. Warne was truly a match-winner in his own right.
Amassing 1001 international wickets is no mean feat and in the process of attaining it, Warne broke plenty of records. While some may be broken in the modern age of cricket, there are a select few that might be preserved in his memory for eternity.
On that note, let us take a look at three such records held by Warne that might never be broken by another bowler.
#1 Most Test wickets by a leg-spinner
Warne was the second bowler to reach the landmark 700-wicket tally, with Muttiah Muralidaran being the very first. The Australian leg-spinner remains the last bowler to have got to the 700-wicket mark and in the modern era, James Anderson is closing in while the next best tally by a spinner remains Anil Kumble's 619 wickets.
It is not a hidden fact that the influence of leg-spinners is waning day by day in Test cricket, whether it be the lack of accuracy or the fact that they rely on the batters' lack of judgment. Moreover, the most wickets by an active leg spinner is Yasir Shah with 244 wickets, which tells you more than enough.
The King of Spin, Shane Warne, in the #BoxingDay Test at his home ground.
700th Test Wicket - Absolute Legend
https://t.co/aJnlyO7D88
It is highly unlikely that a leg spinner will ever surpass the tally of 708 Test wickets. The sheer ridicule of the fact illuminates the feat that Warne was able to achieve over the course of his career.
#2 Most Test wickets in a calendar year
Warne had a landmark year in 2005, where he finished with 96 wickets, which still remains the highest number of wickets taken by a bowler in a single calendar year.
The year included the iconic Ashes in England, where the Aussie great finished with a whopping 40 wickets to end up as the highest wicket-taker in the series by a distant margin.
Shane Warne in the 2005 Ashes:
40 wickets at 19.92
249 runs at 27.66
Peerless, even in defeat.
RIP, Shane Warne. https://t.co/uncne9t6Gq
His 96 wickets came across 15 matches at an average of 22.02. He also claimed six five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls in 2005. His year also included a prolific away series against New Zealand and a home series against the West Indies.
The highest yearly wicket tally by a bowler in Tests since 2010 is Ravichandran Ashwin's 72-wicket effort in 2016, which tells you that Warne's record is more than safe in the modern era.
With the introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle spanning across two years, the volume of Tests played has also been slightly diluted.
#3 Most Ashes wickets
As previously mentioned, the Australian leg-spinner's exploits in the 2005 Ashes are among the greatest feats in the history of the game. Apart from being the leading wicket-taker in the series, the leg-spinner is also the leading wicket-taker in Ashes history, and that too, by quite some margin.
He ended his career following the 2006-07 Ashes, which Australia proceeded to win by a 5-0 margin. Of his 708 Test wickets, 195 scalps came against bitter-rivals England, making him the leading wicket-taker in Ashes history by quite some margin.
Right-arm pacer Glenn McGrath holds second place with 157 wickets. Among active players, Stuart Broad and James Anderson hold 131 and 112 wickets, respectively. Breaching Warne's imperious tally will be more than an insurmountable challenge.
Will anyone among the current or upcoming crop of bowlers be able to break any of the aforementioned records held by the legendary bowler? Let us know what you think.
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