The 39-year-old Indian fast bowler, S Sreesanth, who returned to first-class cricket after a huge gap of nine years in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, had a chat with Wisden India leading up to the tournament. During the interaction, Sreesanth relived the highs and lows of a tumultuous career that lasted more than half a decade.
While discussing his international career, and specifically talking about the best deliveries he’s bowled, S Sreesanth narrated the elaborately planned dismissal of Daren Ganga during India’s tour to the Caribbean in 2006. Calling it the “best delivery [he’s] ever bowled”, he described how he acted “tired” leading up to the dismissal in the fourth innings, in a bid to mislead the West Indies opener.
Talking about the same, S Sreesanth said, “Yes, [the Jacques] Kallis ball is surely one of the very best I have ever bowled [from the 2010 Cape Town Test]. But the best ball I have ever bowled was to Daren Ganga [during India’s tour of the West Indies in 2006]. I rate that as the No.1 ball I have ever bowled. That was an out-swinging yorker.”
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He further added, “I was bowling 123 [kph], 126, 121, 124 [YouTube footage shows Sreesanth bowling in the low 130s prior to the wicket]. Even the commentators were saying ‘He’s tired’. I think it was my sixth or seventh over, and it was very well planned.”
Here is the video of the brilliant outswinger by S Sreesanth:
Talking about the backstory of the delivery, S Sreesanth said, “I think only Munaf [Patel] knew. ‘Saale, natak kar raha hai’ (I know you are acting), because he’s seen me play for Indian Airlines and league matches in Chennai. It used to be one of my tricks – show the batsman that you’re really tired, bowl the slower bouncer with full effort, and say, ‘Shit yaar’, and tie your laces. Don’t even look [at him] and then say ‘Kya yaar out, ho ja (get out, man). And then bowl that faster one.”
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S Sreesanth took a couple of more wickets in the innings as India completed a 49-run victory, claiming the four-Test series 1-0.
