The Wizard is Gone. Long Live The Emperor Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan

The Wizard is Gone. Long Live The Emperor
Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan

Who can forget the best delivery of the century? It spun from outside the leg stump. Beat the bat across the stumps. And hit the top of off stump. The batsman was bamboozled. He stood at the crease transfixed as if a grenade was thrown at him. It was not violent. It was beautiful. Mike Gatting was bowled lock, stock and barrel by a magician from over the stumps with a hook, line and sinker ball. From near the return crease to tease and torment. And viciously spun from the master’s finger. A real beauty. Gatting was made to look like a fool. And he looked one. Warney was smiling big. The master was at his masterly best.

One is saddened to note the sudden departure of the colourful Shane Warne . Do statistics matter? Does one Care Muralidharan and Kumble beat him there? Warney was up there . All alone. He came alone. And gone alone. But has left behind an imprint that shall remain. What a bowler? No trundler he.

Just a couple of steps. Used the crease brilliantly. He spun the ball like a top on a No Turner track. And he could bowl straight on a minefield. That was his unique talent. When he bowled, no one cared he was bowling for Australia, not the most popular side. And when he bowled against the Pommies, he loved it . We loved it more.,He made them dance. He made fools of them with his googlies and top spinners. His doosra was teeesra. He was that original.

My senior knew I was not cricket crazy. But maddeningly mad. And when Shane bowled, I had to be there at Chepauk . The cause list can wait. And it did, all days the test match was on.

And even when Sachin Tendulkar was training to get ready, I was fortunate to be at the nets. Watching our master preparing as if a war against the Aussie master. Asking leg spinners, all the available ones in chennai league, from all sorts of angles.

And when Warney went round the wicket with a deep mid wicket, mid on and square leg, and spun it from outside the leg stump and Sachin danced down and heaved the leg spinner across the deep fielders and a couple of times over them, Warney was applauding. One master acknowledging the other.

Oh my god. And Shane Warne was as colourful as they came. Think of colour in all facets. Those who followed his life/career know he bowled googlies all the time even off the field . He was the best captain Australia never had. But when he bowled he set the field. The adjustments were geometrical. To mislead. And to entice his prey. What a cricketer! There will never be another of his genre.

Good Bye Warney. We shall live with the memories you have given us. Thank You.

( Author is practising advocate in the Madras High Court)