Former England captain Andrew Strauss, in a video shared on social media, can be seen recalling the time when sledging late Shane Warne backfired. The two were key parts of their respective sides during the Ashes in 2005, which England won 2-1.
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Strauss spoke about the sledging incident that took place in the second Test at Edgbaston, where Warne’s 10-wicket match haul went in vain as Australia lost by two runs.
Warne dismissed Strauss in both innings of the match at 48 and six runs respectively. In England’s second innings, the Aussie spun the delivery from from well outside off into the middle and leg stumps. Australia needed to score 282 runs to win the game.
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Spinner Ashley Giles was bowling. Strauss was fielding at silly point when he tried to sledge Warne.
“Fielding at silly point, I thought I have got to say something to him. I said, ‘Come on Gilo (Giles), he is really struggling against you here,'” the former English captain said in the video.
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“He (Warne) turned to me and said, ‘Mate, if there’s anyone struggling around here, it’s you,'” he added.
Strauss further revealed that he was humiliated as his teammates did not back him up.
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“Pretty humiliating, to be honest with you; you hope your teammates back you up and everyone was not engaging in that conversation at all,” Strauss elaborated.
“It didn’t end there”, he revealed.
“There was another bit to this, which I have never told. He then turned around to me again and said, ‘Listen mate, you say another word to me and I will hit the next ball for a six.’ I went, ‘Alright then. Come on Gilo, he is really struggling against you here.’ Bang! Over square leg for six. ‘You’re gonna say it again mate?’ (Warned asked),” recalled Strauss.
Warne was remembered by all manner of athletes, actors, prime ministers and rock stars on Saturday following his death from an apparent heart attack. He was 52.