Dean Jones, Virat Kohli, Steven Smith
Dean Jones. Twitter

Dean Jones left a void in the cricketing folklore with his untimely demise. Cricket fraternity was left shell-shocked as tributes began to pour in from all quarters of the globe. Cricket legend Shane Warne had shared the Australian dressing room with Dean Jones and recalled his inspiring words.

Dean Jones was already an established player in the Australian team when Warne made his debut in the 1992 Test series against India at SCG. Warne was getting smacked all over the park by Ravi Shashtri before he dismissed the former India captain with Jones taking the catch. Warne recalled that after Jones completed the catch he walked up to him and said that it’s his first wicket and no one can take it away from him.

Shane Warne
Shane Warne (Credits: Twitter)

“In that first Test I was getting smacked around the park, Ravi Shastri skies one to deep cover, and Deano takes the catch. He comes into the huddle and says, ‘Well done champ’. He used to call everyone champ. He said, ‘You’ve got your first one, they can’t take that away from you,” Warne wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

“We went to Sri Lanka in 1992, and I was getting smacked all over the park again, and I got my second Test wicket. (Jones) came in the huddle and said, ‘Well done champ, you now average 435 runs per wicket, well done,” Warne recalled.

Read More  IPL Points Table 2024: Orange Cap, Purple Cap List After RR vs DC, Match 9
Dean Jones
Dean Jones (Credits: Twitter)

Jones, a part of the official broadcasters panel for IPL 2020, left the world mourning with his untimely demise on Thursday. Jones was 59 years old and passed away following a cardiac arrest. Jones was a much loved character and an inspiration to many. He had donned several hats including that of a coach and commentator.

Jones played played 52 Tests and scored 3631 runs including 11 centuries, and featured in 164 One-Dayers, racking up 6063 runs, seven centuries and 46 fifties. Jones was in Mumbai as part of IPL official broadcaster’s commentary panel.