How 1999 World Cup would have turned out had Herschelle Gibbs not dropped Steve Waugh

#2 We would not have witnessed Shane Warne’s best bowling of the tournament

Shane Warne took four wickets each in the semi-final and the final to end the 1999 World Cup as the joint top wicket-taker

Aussie spinner Shane Warne was in very good form during the 1999 World Cup and by the end of the Super Sixes, had equalled his tally of 12 wickets in the 1996 World Cup. Till the Super Sixes, Warne’s best bowling figures of the tournament were 3/39 that came in Australia’s first match of the tournament against Scotland.

However, Waugh’s dropped catch benefitted Warne immensely as in the following two matches, he produced his best bowling of the competition to be adjudged the Man of the Match on both occasions.

During the semi-final between Australia and South Africa, Australia ended their innings on 213 and in reply, the South African openers Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten gave their side a steady start to the innings. The duo added 48 runs before Warne broke their partnership by bowling out the well settled Gibbs.

In his very next, over the spinner scalped Gary Kirsten and Hansie Cronje to pile the pressure on the South African batting. Warne ended his brilliant spell by taking the prized wicket of Jacques Kallis who was in fine form. The spinner finished the match with figures of 4/29.

In the final against Pakistan, Warne bowled another brilliant spell of 4/33, taking the wickets of Ijaz Ahmed, Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi, and Wasim Akram as Pakistan were bundled out for a paltry 133.

Australia comfortably chased down the total in 20.1 overs to win their second World Cup. Warne’s consecutive four-wicket hauls in the semi-final and final made him the joint-top wicket-taker of the tournament alongside New Zealand pacer Geoff Allott.