Was it Shane Warne in a hologram like the one at the MCG Museum or was he there for real at the SCG nets on WednesdayIJ As it turned out, he was very much there, dropping in to give some quality spin navigation to the Australian team wary of an Ashwin-Jadeja attack on their nerves — and of course their limited skills against the slow turners.
Whatever be the case, Shane Warne was the centrepiece at SCG for the entire time that he bowled to Michael Clarke, James Faulkner and Aron Finch to name some. The fans, allowed inside the stadium after the Indian team left, could not believe their eyes or luck that they were witnessing a Shane Warne bowling session live. And boy, he did turn his arm in nostalgic excellence, first beating and then bowling out a foxed Faulkner. Not that Clarke was on his front foot to Warnie’s old-time guile which, incidentally, looked as young and fresh as him.
Flying in from the commentary box at Auckland , he looked dapper is his black sleeveless jacket over a white T-shirt and track pants. After stretching, bending and getting into the momentum as the net bowlers took their turn to bowl to Clarke, Warne waited and then rolled his arm to the skipper who was a little uptight in the moment.
The Australians are faced with the unwelcome prospect of facing the Indian spin duo R Ashwin and R Jadeja in a crunch game, that too on the known-to-be slow SCG wicket. In that context, Warne’s presence at net, and his bowling to the Aussie bats, would, if not anything better, at least boost their confidence. But going by the fact that he bowled Faulkner, troubled Finch and had Clarke on the backfoot, it could be a great outing for Ashwin and Co. Come Thursday, if it does turn, Warne will be watching for sure, if not from the middle but from level 3 of the imposing SCG.