It's an unusual situation for Muttiah Muralitharan. The Sri Lankan spin wizard, used to getting bagful of wickets, has struggled to provide the breakthroughs against India.
It's an unusual situation for Muttiah Muralitharan. The Sri Lankan spin wizard, used to getting bagful of wickets, has struggled to provide the breakthroughs against India. He has been unable to come to terms with the flat Indian pitches and has only five wickets for 396 runs at an average 79.20 to show for in two Tests so far.
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Harbhajan Singh shares a joke with fellow Sikh Balwinder Singh Sandhu at the Ceat awards last night. Bhajji was felicitated for completing 300 Test wickets. PIC/PRADEEP DHIVAR |
Muralitharan is so frustrated with his drop in form that he's considering early retirement from international cricket. The off-spinner planned to call it a day after the 2011 World Cup, but declared after the second Test defeat that he may stop playing for Sri Lanka earlier than that.
As the 37-year-old veteran grapples with an ageing body, he received support from his Indian counterpart, Harbhajan Singh. "Murali is a true hero," Harbhajan Singh said at the CEAT Rating Awards function when asked about his favourite bowler. "I have enjoyed the way he bowls, the way he creates pressures (on the batsmen)," said Harbhajan.
The Indian off-spinner understood the fact that overall it's been tough for his tribesmen. The two venues Ahmedabad and Kanpur did not offer much for the slow bowlers. Even if the spinner managed to deceive the batsmen, the turf's slowness allowed the batters extra time to save their wickets.
"It's been tough bowling on these wickets (in this series), but at the end of the day you have to take up the challenge and try your best," said Harbhajan.
If Muralitharan is looking for advice, then there is none better than former India off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna.
Speaking about his art, the wily old fox said: "The need of the hour is different (for an off-spinner) but it does not change the fact that the most important thing is the number of revolutions one imparts on the ball to get the ball to dip and bite off the wicket" There are numerous feathers in world's highest wicket-taker (788 wickets in 138 Tests) Muralitharan's distinguished career, but it rankles that in his four tours to India he has yet to taste a Test victory. The Brabourne Stadium will offer him his last chance. From his words, it seems, he's even resigned to the fate. "Looking back I can say what an amazing career I have gone through but if we can't win in India that's it. Life has to go on," a philosophical Muralitharan told Sri Lanka's The Nation newspaper.
But, he is an impact player, and, he's wounded. Any opponent will write off Muralitharan at its own peril.
It remains to be seen whether Murali has one last fight left in him. Many a time, he's single-handedly demolished the Indian batting line-up and Tendulkar & Co will surely be wary of their last fight against
the ageing Lankan lion.
