Two Australian and world cricket legends—Rodney Marsh and Shane Warne—calling stumps on the same day is a tragic coincidence.
That they both spent some time with each other as teacher and pupil respectively many years ago at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide, the city where Marsh passed away on Friday, is another coincidence. And if the cause of Warne’s death is a heart attack, there will be another one since Marsh suffered a heart attack as well earlier in the week.
There is yet another one. Both started their Test careers on a wrong note. Marsh kept wickets poorly on his Test debut against England at Brisbane in 1970 and thus was called Iron Gloves while Warne was smashed by double centurion Ravi Shastri in the Sydney Test of the 1991-92 series to end up with figures of 1-150.
Low on confidence
When Warne got picked for the Sri Lanka tour later that year—his first after that Sydney shellacking—he didn’t believe he belonged to Test cricket, didn’t deserve his place in the team. Seven Augusts later, he spoke to mid-day. At Sri Lanka’s paradise town, Galle, I waited for hours for Warne to agree to our interview request made through Australia’s team manager Steve Bernard. He walked down the pavilion steps and appeared happy to speak. His wife had given birth to their son Jackson and Warne told mid-day: “Jackson did the trick [pulled him out of his gloom]. There are not too many happier men than me at the moment,” he said.
Lankan challenges in 1999
We spoke about what kind of challenges the forthcoming tournament in Sri Lanka would throw up. “I am fitter now and I don’t feel threatened by anyone,” he said. Sachin Tendulkar was part of the Indian team and he hoped he’d get him out for “50 rather than 100” whenever they clashed. Sri Lanka was a special place for him and it was there where he started believing that he could be a performer if not the world’s best spinner of all time. The opening Test of the 1992-93 series was at the SSC ground in Colombo. Warne’s first innings figures were 0-107. The Lankans were chasing a target of 181 to go one up on Day Five. On the night of the penultimate day, Warne was nervous. Fellow spinner Greg Matthews believed his young mate would benefit from a chat over pizza at the Colombo Hilton. “Spin it, give it a rip tomorrow,” Warne was told. “I don’t think I am good enough,” said Warne. Matthews responded by saying that the selectors wouldn’t have picked him for the tour had they believed he couldn’t deliver. Warne went to bed unconvinced. A see-saw battle ensued the following day and when Allan Border threw the ball to Warne, Matthews yelled, “Remember last night Shane, spin it, spin it, give it a rip.”
That talk over pizza
Warne claimed the last three Sri Lanka wickets and his ultimate analysis of 3-11 looked far better than that debut 1-150. Australia won the game by 16 runs. “Yeah, I can’t forget that talk over the pizza that night. It was a special night and things took off from there,” he told us in Galle.
Warne loved his paradise destinations. From Thailand he tweeted his tribute (“Sad to hear the news that Rod Marsh has passed. He was a legend of our great game & an inspiration to so many young boys & girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket & gave so much-especially to Australia & England players. Sending lots & lots of love to Ros & the family. RIP mate.”) to Marsh.
The legends team up there have now been strengthened by the finest wicketkeeper and spinner. Indeed, it’s two too many on one day.
