Cricket Player Profile: Rain Plays Spoilsport at Galle, the world witnesses Murali magic
It looks like that the final test for Muttiah Muralitheran, who is set to be influenced by nature and the spin wizard’s dream of finishing with 800 scalps at the highest level of the game might remain unrealized.
The second day of the first test at Galle was washed out without a single ball having been bowled, as the Sri Lankans could not add even a run to their first day score of 256 for 2, a day that they thoroughly dominated with impressive tons by Captain Kumar Sangakkara and opener Tharanga Paranavitana.
The rain Gods played havoc with the proceedings as the day’s play was abandoned without a ball having been bowled, and the unfortunate development has ruined the chances of Murali claiming eight wickets in the Indian innings, the number he needs to reach the 800 milestone.
The match is being decorated as a special occasion for the spin maestro, and players and officials involved in the game have been talking about the phenomenal achievements of the spinner in a glittering career that spanned 18 years.
Even opposing players have talked about his greatness with Sachin Tendulkar, calling him the greatest bowler of all time, for his consistent performances that spanned all cricketing countries and opposition. As the man from Kandy gave the teeth to an otherwise pedestrian attack that, the islanders had to content with till the mid-nineties before the arrival of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chaminda-Vaas-c1223 and Muralitheran.
The curtains to Vaas’s test career were drawn last year in the third and final test match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, in a series that the Sri Lankans won without the duo.
This was the first time that they had recorded a major test series win without their famed duo of bowlers, underlying the fact that the islanders had enough ammunition that can serve them well in the coming years.
For Murli, though the game is still extremely dear and close to his heart and he has vowed to make himself available in the limited overs variety, especially as the 50 overs World Cup takes place in the sub-continent next year.
Murali also leads the pack of highest wicket takers in the 50 overs variety and has 515 scalps against his name.
Once he gets done with test cricket, Murali is set to take a rest and assess if his body and mind allows him to return to international cricket, especially sine the World cup is going to be an extremely demanding tournament, with the pressure of playing at home also difficult to discard.
Meanwhile, the immediate task for the Sri Lankans at Galle would be to look for some quick runs if the game resumes tomorrow, if they can reach the 400 mark inside the first two sessions, they can exert pressure on the formidable Indian batting line-up.
The wet conditions might not favour Murali much but the speedsters are likely to reign supreme, and the much vaunted Indian batting line-up might be under a severe test.
The match is still well poised and if the rain can stay away for the next three days, we might see more of the Murali magic that made his the best bowler in test cricket on the sheer weight of his statistics. His fans would love to see him bow out with 800 scalps against his name, yet a five-for with a Sri Lankan win would not displease them much at all.
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