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Published 08 Dec, 2024 01:43pm

No, Muhammad Siraj did not bowl a 181.6kph ball

A technical glitch displayed Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj bowling an astonishing 181.6 kph (112.8 mph) during the first day of the second Test match against Australia in Adelaide on Friday.

This occurred in the 25th over of Australia’s innings, where Siraj delivered a back-of-a-length ball that Marnus Labuschagne hit for four runs. Viewers quickly recognized the speed reading as an error, leading to a flurry of jokes online.

The fastest recorded ball in cricket history is held by Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, who delivered a 161.3 kph (100.23 mph) ball during the 2003 World Cup.

Several other bowlers have surpassed speeds of 150 km/h, including Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, both of whom reached 161.1 km/h (100.1 mph). Lee achieved this speed against New Zealand in 2005, while Tait matched it against England in 2010.

Australian bowler Jeff Thomson also features among the fastest, with a delivery clocked at 160.6 km/h (99.8 mph) against the West Indies in 1975. Another notable speedster, Mitchell Starc, reached 160.4 km/h (99.7 mph) against New Zealand in 2015.

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