Shane Warne was a master of wrist spin who bamboozled batters with his sharp turn. And his famous ‘Ball of the Century’ set the tone for him to build a great career.
In his stellar career, Warne bagged a significant number of wickets, bowled relentless spells, and achieved many records on the way.
On his birth anniversary today (13 September), we’ll glance at Shane Warne’s 7 impeccable records in international cricket.
Second Most Wickets in International Cricket
Warne had the privilege of donning the baggy green 339 times for Australia in international cricket.
In those appearances, the leggie grabbed an astonishing 1001 wickets, placing him behind Muthiah Muralidaran on the global wicket-taking chart. Of the 1001 scalps, 708 came in 145 Tests and 293 came in 194 ODIs.
Warne and Muralidaran are the only 2 bowlers with 1000+ wickets in international cricket. And it’s highly unlikely any other bowler will join them.
Second Most Wickets in Test Cricket
Warne’s 708 Test wickets are also the second most in the format. He trails Muralidaran in Test cricket too, though he was the first to reach the 700-wicket milestone.
In the process, Warnie averaged a bit above 25, struck a wicket after every 58th ball, and had an economy rate of 2.65.
Most Five-fers and Ten-fers for Australia in Test Cricket
His impressive Test wicket tally also included 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket hauls. This is the most number of five-fers and ten-fers for Australia in the longer format.
Most Wickets in the Ashes History
England was Shane Warne’s favourite opponent, and no matter where he played against them, he racked up heaps of wickets. And that’s pretty evident from his overall performance in the Ashes series contested between Australia and England.
Warne featured in 36 Tests between 1993 and 2007, taking 195 wickets at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 55. The next best bowler is Glenn McGrath with 157 scalps. So that tells how the beast of a bowler he was against England.
Most Wickets in a Calendar Year
Shane Warne had a crazy outing in 2005 after returning from a one-year ban. He bounced back from the setback, scalping 96 wickets in 15 Tests and setting a new world record that still stands.
6 years before that, Warne dazzled with the white ball, picking up 62 wickets in 37 ODI matches. This is the third-highest wicket tally in a calendar year in ODIs.
Most Runs in International Cricket Without a Century
Everyone knows Warne was a world-class spinner. But he was also a handy batter lower down the order, saving the day for Australia many times with the bat.
The legend amassed 4172 runs across Test and ODI formats, which is the most by a batter across formats without an individual century.
Warne’s highest score came in Tests in 2001, as he crammed 99 runs against New Zealand in a rescue act.
1000 Runs, 50 Wickets, and 50 Catches in Tests and ODIs
Warne is among the select few players who have showcased their all-round skills in Tests and ODIs. The leg-spinner achieved the triple of 1000 runs, 50 wickets, and 50 catches in both formats.
Warne scored 3154 runs, picked up 708 wickets, and took 125 catches in Tests. In ODI cricket, he amassed 1018 runs, grabbed 293 wickets, and held onto 80 catches.
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