"English cricket has every reason to hate Shane Warne. In 36 Ashes Tests he bagged 195 wickets at an average of 23.25. From his opening ball of the century at Old Trafford in 1993 to his final bow in Sydney in 2007, he seemed to operate on a different plane. This peroxided devil ruined summers and deepened cold, bitter winters, yet he became an English national treasure, the perfect reminder that cricket, above all else, is something that should be enjoyed."
"Few visiting players have been booed so loudly, or applauded so enthusiastically. At first his snarls and send-offs grated, as if he was trying to cosplay as something that he wasn't, as if he had forgotten that Test captains should stick to the archetypes they've been assigned. By the end Australians realised they were looking at something uncomfortably familiar. He became, in their eyes, the worthy antagonist."
Shane Warne dominated English cricket across 36 Ashes Tests, taking 195 wickets at an average of 23.25 and earning prominent honours at Lord's and the Rose Bowl. His dramatic persona, devastating leg-spin and roguish charisma provoked fear yet inspired affection, turning rivalry into admiration rooted partly in yearning. Virat Kohli similarly provoked strong reactions in Australia with aggression and on-field theatrics before being embraced as a worthy antagonist. Kohli’s intensity, skill and unapologetic demeanour resonated as an expression of a confident, modern India and redefined expectations for visiting players in Australia. Both figures show how excellence and character convert rivals into celebrated icons.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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