NEW DELHI: Being a proud Victorian, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was Shane Warne‘s home ground, and he frequently played there for both Victoria in domestic cricket and Australia in international matches. The venue witnessed his rise from a promising local talent to a global superstar.
Warne shared an iconic bond with the MCG, a venue that served as a stage for many of his remarkable cricketing achievements.
Warne etched his name in MCG history by taking a sensational hat-trick against England during the Boxing Day Test in 1994, dismissing Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough, and Devon Malcolm.
Warne achieved the milestone of his 700th Test wicket at the MCG, dismissing England’s Andrew Strauss during the Boxing Day Test of the 2006-07 Ashes series. The moment was celebrated by a massive crowd that recognized Warne‘s greatness.
Following his untimely passing in 2022, the Great Southern Stand at the MCG was renamed the “Shane Warne Stand” to honour his unparalleled contributions to cricket and his deep association with the stadium.
On Thursday, as the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia got underway, Cricket Australia shared a video of Warne’s children joining the fans at the MCG to pay a tribute to the greatest leg-spinner to play the game.
The video had Warne’s kids doffing their hats at 3:50 local time and the MCG fans followed likewise. 350 was Warne’s Test jersey number, that is he was the 350th player to represent Australia in Test cricket.
Warne’s former teammate the great keeper-batter Adam Gilchrist said on air, “Fully engaged, crowd here, never been forgotten, his name is marked in this ground.”
The MCG served as the venue for Warne’s public memorial service in March 2022. Tens of thousands of fans, friends, and family gathered to celebrate his life and legacy, cementing the ground’s place as the heart of Warne’s cricketing journey.
The MCG will always be synonymous with Shane Warne, not only for the magical moments he created there but also for the love and admiration he received from fans at the iconic venue.
