Former Australia quick recounts the day Shane Warne denied him a rare place in cricket folklore
Remember when: Warne drops history
It’s 15 years today since Shane Warne dropped Javagal Srinath at first slip and robbed Damien Fleming of one of the rarest of achievements; a second Test hat-trick.
With tongue placed firmly in cheek, the former swing king has spent the proceeding 5,479 days ensuring Warne never forgets the unique place in history he was denied.
The all-conquering Australia side had India in all sorts of trouble early on day five of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval in 1999, with the tourists 7-93 chasing 395 for an unlikely victory.Image Id: ~/media/2599FE174EDF49E2BF7A2EC9A0545A9D
Having dismissed Sourav Ganguly and Ajit Agarkar, caught behind and caught at backward point, with the two balls prior, Fleming ran in with a parochial crowd fervently clapping his approach to the popping crease and the potential of a milestone achieved just four times previous.
As fate would have it, the back-of-a-length length delivery moved away just enough to find the edge of a hard-flashing Srinath … only for Warne to bungle his lines with the catch.Image Id: ~/media/3F637316BC994988BFDD1E67D9CC349E
“I did everything from my end,” Fleming told to cricket.com.au.
“And the big boy – it hits the palms, goes over his head, no hat-trick.”
When asked whether the 20-Test cricketer had forgiven his former Australia and Victoria teammate, the response was decidedly emphatic.
“I don’t talk to him.”Image Id: ~/media/8DBC4953790C4A37AE603E5BB0B55705
Despite the old adage, it appears time has failed to heal this wound, with Warne interrupting this particular interview to shout, “Come on mate, you don’t deserve two hat-tricks,” as he passed Fleming en route to another media commitment.
“We’re actually quite tight,” Fleming said once Warne was out of earshot.
“He’s one of my favourite players of all time."