Watch Ben Hilfenhaus bowl a pearler to VVS Laxman

Commentator Tony Grieg was in disbelief at the chicanery of the Ben Hilfenhaus delivery that clean bowled India great VVS Laxman at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in 2012. The seamer, operating from over the wicket, kicked off his 23rd over with an absolute peach. At first, it seemed to be a rather innocuous ball zoning in on the pads of Laxman. However, the ball swung away late to whizz past the batter’s attempted whip and crash into the off-stump.

Batting on 66, Laxman looked flabbergasted as he heard the death rattle. He thought he had the measure of the delivery before it went the other way quite late to defeat his judgement. There was not much he could’ve done to keep it out, in all fairness. It was an extraordinary gem that would have swindled any batter into submission. The fact that the outswinger just grazed the off-stump made the dismissal even more alluring.