Watch: Harbhajan Singh in disbelief, Chris Gayle shellshocked as India great produces Shane Warne-like magic delivery
Chris Gayle seemed to take a couple of seconds to process just how much the delivery turned while wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa was laughing away.
The legends are turning back the clock in the Legends League Cricket and in some cases, they seem to be surprising themselves with the things that they are still able to do on the cricket field. A case in point could be seen in a match between the India Maharajas led by Gautam Gambhir and the World Giants led by Aaron Finch. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh got the breakthrough for the Maharajas by bowling out West Indies great Chris Gayle in rather spectacular fashion.
The sharp spin that was generated after the ball pitched was reminiscent of the kind of turn that the legendary Shane Warne generated when he sent in the "Ball of the Century" to Mike Gatting at the 1993 Old Trafford Ashes Test, or the famous delivery with which he dismissed Andrew Strauss at the extraordinary 2005 Edgbaston Test. Unlike those two dismissals, though, Harbhajan bowled Gayle around his legs. Gayle had looked to paddle the ball around but seemed to be rather late to it as it crashed onto the leg stump. The former West Indies captain seem to take a couple of seconds to process the dismissal while Harbhajan himself looked quite stunned. Wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa, meanwhile, could not control his laughter as he gave his bowler a hug.
Watch the video below:
Ross Taylor, who had played some lovely knocks in the second edition of this league, and Kevin O’Brien pushed the score to 135 for 4 in 15 overs when Mohammad Kaif produced a flying catch, diving forward to get Kevin O'Brien out for 4 off Harbhajan. Two balls later, Harbhajan trapped Ross Taylor for 1. One ball after, Harbhajan also had Morne van Wyk sweep and edge his pad to get caught by wicketkeeper Uthappa for 1.
The Giants though pulled off a thrilling two-run win over India Maharajas in the second match of the LLC Masters. The edge-of-the-seat thriller followed after World Giants had posted 166 for 8 in 20 overs riding on skipper Aaron Finch's 53 off 31 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes and Shane Watson's 55 runs off 32 balls with five boundaries and three sixes.
A captain's knock of 68 from Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan's four-wicket spell for 13 runs for Indian Maharajas, unfortunately, went in vain. It was Gambhir’s second consecutive half-century after his 54 against Asia Lions in the opener and his 68 in this match came off 42 balls with nine boundaries and one six. With eight runs needed off the last over, Brett Lee gave away just five runs to give the defending champions World Giants a winning start.