Shaun Tait bowled what was reportedly the quickest delivery on Australian soil in the home side's two-run win over Pakistan, when he unleashed a 160.7 kmph rocket off just the third ball of his opening over.
Tait was the man-of-the-match for figures of 3/13, but talk centred equally on his magnificent bowling as on that particular delivery.
The huge crowd of more than 60,000 at the MCG let out a collective gasp when the scoreboard immediately flashed just how quick it was with Channel Nine later reporting that it was the fastest ball ever delivered by any bowler in Australia.
Tait's thunderbolt was the third-fastest ball ever bowled, behind Brett Lee, whose quickest is 160.9kph, and Pakistan's record holder Shoaib Akhtar, who unleashed a 161.3kph ball during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
Tait, whose decision to give up first-class cricket in order to ensure he remains injury-free for the shortened forms of the game is starting to pay off, said fans should not expect him to bowl as quick as he did at the MCG on Friday night on a regular basis.
"I was obviously feeling pretty good today and every now and then there are nights when everything goes well and your timing is right," he said after Friday night's game when quizzed about his record-breaking delivery.
"You can't really explain why some nights it comes out so well and the next night is not so good."
Tait, who has battled countless injuries during his career given the toll his unique slingshot action takes on his body, said he was feeling fresh going into the game because rain in the lead-up to the match had prevented him from bowling in the nets.
"As far as I am concerned that (not bowling in the nets before a game) is good preparation," he joked.
However despite coming so close to bowling the fastest ball in the history of the game, Tait doubts he will break Akhtar's record.
"Shoaib bowled whatever he bowled - I don't know how because I almost killed myself out there tonight," he said.
"It's not something I think about all the time and there are only certain moments when you are bowling in your career when you have got a chance to do it."
"You have probably only got two balls in a game where you can do it and then after that it's hard to get back up to that sort of pace."
"But the decision I have made to only play the short forms of the game was a good one and I have been feeling fresh for a majority of games this season apart from just a couple maybe."
Tait was the man-of-the-match for figures of 3/13, but talk centred equally on his magnificent bowling as on that particular delivery.
The huge crowd of more than 60,000 at the MCG let out a collective gasp when the scoreboard immediately flashed just how quick it was with Channel Nine later reporting that it was the fastest ball ever delivered by any bowler in Australia.
Tait's thunderbolt was the third-fastest ball ever bowled, behind Brett Lee, whose quickest is 160.9kph, and Pakistan's record holder Shoaib Akhtar, who unleashed a 161.3kph ball during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
Tait, whose decision to give up first-class cricket in order to ensure he remains injury-free for the shortened forms of the game is starting to pay off, said fans should not expect him to bowl as quick as he did at the MCG on Friday night on a regular basis.
"I was obviously feeling pretty good today and every now and then there are nights when everything goes well and your timing is right," he said after Friday night's game when quizzed about his record-breaking delivery.
"You can't really explain why some nights it comes out so well and the next night is not so good."
Tait, who has battled countless injuries during his career given the toll his unique slingshot action takes on his body, said he was feeling fresh going into the game because rain in the lead-up to the match had prevented him from bowling in the nets.
"As far as I am concerned that (not bowling in the nets before a game) is good preparation," he joked.
However despite coming so close to bowling the fastest ball in the history of the game, Tait doubts he will break Akhtar's record.
"Shoaib bowled whatever he bowled - I don't know how because I almost killed myself out there tonight," he said.
"It's not something I think about all the time and there are only certain moments when you are bowling in your career when you have got a chance to do it."
"You have probably only got two balls in a game where you can do it and then after that it's hard to get back up to that sort of pace."
"But the decision I have made to only play the short forms of the game was a good one and I have been feeling fresh for a majority of games this season apart from just a couple maybe."
© Cricbuzz
