Now, we know this is a newsletter on Indian sport but we had to make an exception for Shane Warneβs passing last week. Itβs unfathomable that a man who epitomised life is no longer with us.
There was a bit of Warnie in all of us. Thereβs a bit of us that died with him.
- Shubi
I donβt recall the number of wickets he took in his career but I remember how my friends and I would huddle around a laptop and watch YouTube compilations of his best dismissals.Β
I donβt know what his record in India was but I remember how all the leg-spinners at my cricket academy in Bangalore wanted to be him.Β
I wasnβt born when he bowled the ball of the century but I remember being floored by his genius when he replicated the delivery in a broadcast studio.Β
Iβm unaware of his duels with the best batters in the world but I remember how my aunt, who worked in hospitality, laughed as she described his run-ins with the housekeeping staff.Β
I have to jog my memory on his rivalry with Sachin but I remember the awe with which my father described them.Β
Iβm ignorant about the comparisons with Murali but I remember how my physics tutor used the two of them as examples to explain angular velocity and rotational force.Β
I never did a deep dive into his numbers but I remember the central position his autobiography occupied in the bookshelf at home.Β
I canβt tell you what his greatest performance was but I remember how he gave the rockstars of tomorrow a stage.
I didnβt closely follow the IPL but I remember being smitten by his story and glory with Rajasthan.Β
I donβt remember what Shane Warne did in his career but I remember how he made me and those around me feel.Β
Itβs something Iβll never forget.
This video of Ponting paying tribute to Warne is absolutely devastating. Keep some tissues handy.
Shoutout to the winners from last weekβs quiz: Shinod BM, Anshuman Patro, K. R. Mahaadevan
Congrats guys!
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