04 September,2010 07:44 AM IST | | Viral Shah
That's the buzz in bookie circles about 'feel-good' test series; two Indian bookies were reportedly staying in the same hotel as the teams for the entire duration of the series
In the wake of the latest spot fixing controversy involving Pakistani players, India's bookie world is abuzz with talk that the last India vs Sri Lanka Test series was fixed.
Claps all round: Indian cricketers applaud as Sri Lanka's Muttiah
Muralitharan makes his way out to bat on the third day of the first Test
between Sri Lanka and India at Galle. Pic/AFP
It is learnt that bookies Mittal and Soni Malad were in Sri Lanka for the entire duration of the Test series and stayed in the same hotel as the teams.
Sri Lanka won the first Test which was held in the paradise town of Galle. The buzz is that the bookies came into action when Muttiah Muralitharan was close to reaching 800 Test wickets. The great spinner achieved his goal in his farewell Test and Sri Lanka won the game by ten wickets.
Rain was no pain for Lanka in Galle
"A situation was created where there would be a feel good wave after the first Test loss. The second Test played on a batting paradise at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, was drawn and India ended up winning the third Test at the P Sara Oval," a source told MiD DAY yesterday.
The 1-1 draw was India's best result since Mohammed Azharuddin's team beat the islanders 1-0 in the 1993-94 series. N Srinivasan, the BCCI Hon Secretary was not available for comment.
When MiD DAY asked an ICC spokesperson as to whether this series is being investigated, he replied: "We cannot comment on evidence which doesn't exist."
Meanwhile, former captain Bishan Singh Bedi felt that the Board of Control for Cricket in India as well as the International Cricket Council ought to probe into this series. "Even if there is an iota of doubt, the BCCI and ICC should investigate. It is their job to clear the air," Bedi said from New Delhi.
The Sardar of Spin also wondered why is the Indian team touring Sri Lanka so often. In the last two years, India has toured Sri Lanka five times for one-day competitions. "I can't understand these regular visits to Sri Lanka. After all, it's not the greatest of places to play cricket," remarked Bedi.
800, number of Test wickets Muttiah Muralitharan ended his career with. He got his 800th wicket in the Galle Test in his home town.
1-1, The series ended in a 1-1 draw -- India's best result since Mohammed Azharuddin's team beat the islanders 1-0 in the 1993-94 series
