Ripping Turner Bamboozled Aussie batter Labuschange
Sri Lankan leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay produced a jaw-dropping delivery that came agonizingly close to being a “Ball of the Century” moment during the first Test against Australia played in Galle. On Day One, Vandersay unleashed a viciously turning delivery to Australian No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne, leaving the batsman utterly bewildered.
Pitched well outside the leg stump, the ball spun ferociously across the pitch, completely deceiving Labuschagne, who attempted a hesitant back-foot defensive shot. As the ball whizzed past him, it took such an extreme turn that it narrowly missed the off stump, perhaps by the width of a coat of varnish, before racing into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Had it brushed the stumps, it would have been instantly immortalized as one of the greatest deliveries bowled in cricket history.
The delivery drew inevitable comparisons to Shane Warne’s legendary ‘Ball of the Century,’ which bowled England’s Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes at Old Trafford. Though it didn’t claim a wicket, Vandersay’s magical ball was a stark reminder of leg-spin brilliance, leaving fans and commentators in awe of what could have been a historic moment.
Vandersay eventually dismissed Labuschange who remained uneasy throughout his innings when facing the right arm leggie caught low at first slip by skipper Dhananjaya De Silva when poking at a flighted delivery bowled on off stump.
