The day Waugh and Gillespie collided at Asgiriya

Blood, grit and glory

by Rex Clementine

The Aussies are in town for a three-week tour and any victory over them will be celebrated not just across the island but around the cricketing world. After all, everyone wants to knock over the Aussies. They’ve been the gold standard across all three formats for the last three decades, setting the bar sky-high. Taking them down is no walk in the park, and their hallmark has always been their never-say-die attitude. No one epitomized that better than Steve Waugh – who, in a display of sheer grit, walked out to play straight from the hospital, his nose shattered but his spirit unbroken.

When the Australians landed in Sri Lanka in 1999, they arrived with their tails up, brimming with confidence. Fresh off an Ashes triumph and having reclaimed the World Cup just weeks earlier, they were ready to roll. The hosts, on the other hand, were desperate to break the hoodoo and notch their first-ever Test win against the mighty Aussies at Asgiriya. It was a battle fought tooth and nail.

Then came the moment that turned the match – and left an indelible mark on cricket history. Mahela Jayawardene, attempting an uppish sweep, sent the ball airborne. Steve Waugh, stationed backward of square leg, charged in with eyes locked on the prize. From fine leg, Jason Gillespie also sprinted in, both men hell-bent on taking the catch. In a heart-stopping moment, they collided with brutal force, bodies sprawled across the field, and blood spattered on the turf.

Panic set in. Urgent calls were made to Colombo, and a chopper was dispatched to airlift the injured duo to the capital. Waugh was diagnosed with a broken nose, multiple fractures included, while Gillespie was even worse – his leg was shattered, sidelining him for a grueling 15 months.

Surely, Waugh was out for the series. That was the medical verdict. But in true never-say-die Aussie fashion, he defied the odds, ignored medical advice, and walked out to play the next game – battered but unbowed.

In his autobiography, ‘Out of My Comfort Zone’, Waugh fondly recounted the exceptional treatment he received at Colombo’s General Hospital. He showered praise on the medical staff for their care during his darkest hour. Even on subsequent visits to Sri Lanka, he made it a point to track down the doctors who had treated him – whether to share a coffee or a beer and reminisce about that fateful day.

Meanwhile, Aravinda de Silva, who had let a golden opportunity to defeat the Aussies slip through his fingers seven years earlier at the SSC, wasn’t about to let lightning strike twice. This time, he saw it through to the end, anchoring the chase and ensuring Sri Lanka crossed the finish line. His match-winning heroics earned him the well-deserved title of Man of the Match in what became a historic victory for the nation.