'Need to talk to you about something': Ravi Shastri remembers last meeting with Shane Warne, 'Never saw him again'

Ravi Shastri said that he had told Shane Warne that he wanted to speak to the Australian spin legend about something the last time the pair had met.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that he had last met Australia spin great Shane Warne was during the Headingley Test between India and England last year. It was the third Test of the series and the only one that England had won in the incomplete rubber. Shastri, who was head coach of the Indian team, said that he had told Warne that he wanted to talk to him about something but never saw him again after that.

Shastri said that the predictions Warne made from the commentary box were true most of the time.

Shastri said that he was sitting in the bar at Headingley with then bowling coach and fielding coach Bharat Arun and R Sridhar respectively.

“The last time I saw him was in Leeds when I was coach. I was in the bar having a drink with Bharat Arun and Sridhar and he popped in his head," said Shastri on ESPNCricinfo.

"I shouted 'Hey Warnie!' He didn't see me. I said, 'Hey Warnie, come here man!' He walked up, I caught him tight and said that we need to have a chat, 'I need to talk to you about something.'

“He said, 'Yes Rav, anytime.' And off he went, I never saw him again.”

Shastri said that the predictions Warne made from the commentary box were true most of the time because of the knowledge that the Australian spin great possessed about the sport. Warne died earlier this month aged 52.

“I feel really sad because we got along like fire. The topics we discussed in the commentary box, was nothing but cricket. His knowledge was unreal. 90 percent of the time he was right and he always had the ace of spade up his sleeves. We will miss him because he was one of the great characters of the game,” said Shastri.

Warne made his Test debut in India in January 1992. He was smashed for 150 runs and took just one wicket, that of Shastri himself, in India's first innings. However, Shastri's wicket came after he had scored a double century. The former India captain said that even in that Test, Warne's control was evident.

"He had tremendous control even in his first Test match and he spun his leg break. It was his hallmark right through his career. In that first Test, I remember Sachin and me batting on a big partnership, close to 200. The number of times he allowed himself to be cut or pulled, I can't remember.

“I think once I pulled him when I was over 190. Sachin cut him twice but otherwise his length was immaculate. Great temperament. After the game, I met him and said, 'You'll bowl a lot worse than this and pick six or seven wickets.' Six months later he had 7/50 (7/52) against the West Indies at the MCG,” said Shastri.