From nearly DYING on the pitch to admitting he cost Australia a one-day series after telling the world's fastest bowler to remove his sweat bands: Why Dean Mervyn Jones was such a sporting legend

The cricket world is reeling following the passing of legendary Australian cricketer Dean Jones on Thursday night in a Mumbai hotel aged just 59.

Dean Mervyn Jones was a maverick in every sense of the word - fiercely competitive, as stubborn as they come - yet also the ultimate team man.

Jones first represented Australia in 1984, quickly becoming a regular in the Test and one-day squads under the leadership of Allan Border.

A dashing batsman and brilliant fielder, Jones also gained countless admirers for his toughness.

On the tour of India in 1986, Jones' legendary status in the national sporting landscape was confirmed.

Sent into bat at first drop, it was viewed as a gamble by many.

Teammates were in awe of Dean Jones following his dogged knock of 210 versus India in 1986

Jones readied himself for the innings of his life, and as the mercury soared to 42 degrees and the humidity reached a furnace like 80 per cent, the Victorian dug his heels in.

As quickly as Jones found the boundary, cramps then set in, initially in both hands, followed by his legs and finally in his back. 

Lesser men would have retired hurt, with his fatigue levels reaching dangerous levels.

Unaware that Jones was rapidly losing control of his body, Border gave him the option of retiring.

'Well go on, off you go then,'' Border infamously said at the time.

'We will get someone tough out here. We'll get a Queenslander.'

Australian cricketer Dean Jones produced the innings of his life versus India in the tied Test in Madras in 1986

It was just the tonic required to fire up Jones, who refused to let his skipper and country down.

After spending an energy sapping  503 minutes in the middle, he was eventually dismissed for 210, earning an instant cult following among cricket tragics.

 'The fractured memory of that amazing experience still jumps back into my mind in bits and pieces,' Jones recalled in his autobiography Deano: My Call.

'Some of them blurred and some crystal clear.

'Sometimes I have to refer to descriptions written at the time to fill in huge gaps in my own consciousness.'

It wasn't the only time Jones showed he was cut from a different cloth. 

During a World Series Cup match at the SCG in 1993 against the West Indies, Jones famously asked towering West Indian paceman Curtly Ambrose to take off his sweatbands off mid-match.

Curtly Ambrose (pictured left) was in disbelief after Jones asked him to remove his sweat bands in a one-day match in 1993

Dean Jones (pictured left) with fellow cricket greats Brett Lee, Brian Lara and Scott Styris

Dean Jones (pictured left) with former teammate and Test captain Allan Border

DEAN JONES' CAREER IN NUMBERS

Tests: 52

Runs: 3631

Centuries: 11

Average: 46.55

High score: 216

ODIs: 164

Runs: 6068

Centuries: 7

Average: 44.61

High score: 145

 

It was a brave, but deliberate ploy to distract Ambrose, who could scarcely believe what he had heard.  

'I was really upset with him and I told myself I'm going to make it damn hard for him. I'm really going to rough him up,' Ambrose said in 2016.

'I wasn't going to hurt him, but I was going to make him uncomfortable.'

Jones' career highlights are endless - standout moment include a shock World Cup win in 1987 followed by an Ashes triumph two years later over in England. 

He finished up playing for Australia in 1994, and then forged a successful career in the media as a writer and commentator.