Published: Mar 25, 2015, 09:48 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 25, 2015, 09:48 AM (IST)
Sydney: “Come back!” roared a fan in the backdrop as Shane Warne mesmerized those present at the nets at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Wearing a black jumper over a white t-shirt, Warne graced the Australian training session ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 semi-final against India. As the fans gathered behind the nets, Warne was the centre of the attraction, although some of the recent Australian stars batted. The cameras panned on him, following him as he switched his position. India will lose to ‘balanced’ Australia: Lee
Warne entered the nets quietly and the word soon got around that the legend had arrived. Australian captain, Michael Clarke, was batting in one of the nets, facing a few medium-pacers and a left-arm spinner. Warne kept tossing a ball in his hand and kept a close eye on his mate’s training session. As Clarke kept batting, Warne warmed up for his chance. He kept stretching and rolling his arms, rubbed his palms on the ground — in readiness for a good run. Following a long wait, he took his run-up and came on to bowl. Clarke put his head down and suddenly, pulled out! Perhaps, Warne came in to bowl much before he was ready. India vs Australia ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 semi-final: What the pitch could be like?
Warne bowled a few deliveries to Clarke, who rocked back onto the backfoot to each and played them out. Once the session was done, Clarke walked up to Warne and had a few words with him before moving over to the throwdown session. Meanwhile, Warne was yet to unleash some of the awe-inspiring deliveries. He beat James Faulkner with one that spun sharply away from him. A few deliveries later, another leg-break bowled him. The fans clapped in unison. One of them said, “Why doesn’t he still play?” Virat Kohli vs Australia: Stats highlights of India’s star batsman ahead of World Cup 2015 semi-final
Aaron Finch was up next to play Warne and dealt with a few deliveries solidly. Then there was one that spun and had him in a bit of trouble. Having had a few tough games, perhaps it wasn’t an ideal workout for Finch to play Warne. The crowd kept growing stronger by the minute. Behind Finch, there were numerous cameras panned on Warne. Even in retirement, the legendary leg-spinners continues to dazzle. Johnson to turn heat on India
So, what effect would this have on Australia’s preparations? Over the last few days, the Australian team have been in esteemed company. Bob Hawke, the former Australian Prime Minister was at the SCG on Monday. Steve Waugh has also made his presence felt in the Australian camp. Warne was in Auckland, commentating on the first semi-final, and was at the nets the next day. He would have some valuable inputs for the Australians ahead of the big semi-final. After all, he has won two Man of the Match in World Cup semi-finals. The Indians may be a bit wary, but would say that Warne had graced the South African nets ahead of the ICC World T20 2014 semi-final in Dhaka. As we know, India went on to win the game.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
