#OnThisDay: Shane Warne, the greatest leg-spinner, makes his international debut
On this day in 1992, a chubby and blonde Shane Warne set foot in the world of international cricket He debuted for Australia in a Test match against India, winding up with forgettable figures of 1/150. Little did anyone know that the Victorian bowler would end up as the greatest leg-spinner the game would ever see. We look at his career achievements.
Why does this story matter?
Known for turning the ball more than anybody else in the game, Warne (in 2000) was rated among the five greatest cricketers of the 20th century. He played an invaluable part in Australia's golden years before retiring in January 2007. Warne, 52, passed away last year in March due to a suspected heart attack. However, his legacy will continue to live forever.
Most Test wickets by a leg-spinner
Warne was one of the two players in world cricket to have taken over 1,000 international wickets. Furthermore, his tally of 708 Test wickets remains the second-highest overall and highest among leg-spinners. He was only behind Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who has a record 800 wickets to his name. Meanwhile, Warne was the only Australian to touch the 700-wicket mark.
First cricketer to take 700 Test wickets
In 2006, Warne became the first-ever cricketer to clinch 700 wickets in Test cricket. He achieved the milestone on the opening day of the fourth Ashes Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Notably, he was also the first player to break the 600-wicket barrier in the longest format. He dismissed former England batsman Marcus Trescothick to reach the landmark in 2005.
Other records of Warne
Warne has won the Player of the Match award 17 times, the joint third-most along with Wasim Akram. The former has the second-most 10-wicket hauls in Test cricket (10). He holds the record for registering the triple of 1,000 runs, 50 wickets, and 50 catches. Warne has the second-most wickets taken caught by a fielder in international cricket (469).
Third-most wickets among spinners in a five-Test series
In the 2005 Ashes series, Warne scripted history by snapping up a record 40 wickets from five Tests at 19.92. This is the third-highest tally by a spinner (after Jim Laker- 46, Clarrie Grimmett- 44) in a five-match Test series and eighth-highest overall.
Second-most wickets stumped
Warne represented Australia in 194 One-Day Internationals. He scalped 293 wickets at an average of 25.73. Warne has taken the second-most wickets stumped in the format (50). He is one of the two cricketers to take 50 or more wickets through this mode (17.06%). Muralitharan owns 56 wickets (10.48%). Former Sri Lanka cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya follows Warne with 42 wickets.
Most Test wickets in a calendar year
Warne was on a roll in 2005. He snapped up 96 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 22.02 in that year. The former leg-spinner registered six five-wicket hauls and two hauls of 10 wickets. To date, Warne holds the record for taking the most Test wickets in a calendar year. Muralitharan (90) and Dennis Lillee (85) follow Warne on the tally.
Most Test runs without a century
Warne holds the record for taking the most wickets by a leg-spinner in Test cricket (708). He also has over 1,000 wickets in international cricket. Warne was also a handy batter down the order in Test cricket. He racked up 3,154 runs at an average of 17.32. Warne has the record for scoring most Test runs without hitting a century.
