Murali eyes Warne Test landmark
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Muttiah Muralitharan has Shane Warne's record in mind as the two-Test series with Australia begins today (Thursday), reports BBC.
The 35-year-old needs nine wickets to eclipse Warne's 708 scalps.
Sri Lanka, who have never won a Test in Australia, were beaten by Queensland in a three-day warm-up match last week and are without injured Kumar Sangakkara.
The Australians, who have not played a Test since the Ashes in January, begin a new era minus star bowlers Warne and Glenn McGrath and opener Justin Langer.
Muralitharan, now fully fit after a series of shoulder problems, has played 10 Tests for Sri Lanka against Australia, taking 50 wickets.
Only two of those matches have been in Australia, in which he took three wickets, and he last played a Test there in October 2005 when representing an ICC World XI at Sydney, when match figures of 5-157 failed to prevent the Aussies winning by 210 runs.
It would be particularly ironic if the record was achieved down under as he was twice called for throwing by Australian officials, firstly by Darrell Hair in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne on the 1995-6 tour then by Ross Emerson on the 1998-9 trip.
Given a Test record of six defeats and two draws on Australian soil, with a 1-0 series defeat on their last tour in 2004, a four-wicket defeat against Queensland Sunday will not have done much for Sri Lankan confidence.
Their star batsmen failed to spend as much time at the crease as they would have liked, Sanath Jayasuriya had scores of one and two, Mahela Jayawardene made nought and 35, Marvin Atapattu 48 and seven and Thilan Samaraweera seven and three.
However, some final day resistance with the bat from Chaminda Vaas, who fired 84, helped set a target of 141 and Farveez Maharoof and Lasith Malinga unsettled the Queenslanders with five wickets between them.
The 35-year-old needs nine wickets to eclipse Warne's 708 scalps.
Sri Lanka, who have never won a Test in Australia, were beaten by Queensland in a three-day warm-up match last week and are without injured Kumar Sangakkara.
The Australians, who have not played a Test since the Ashes in January, begin a new era minus star bowlers Warne and Glenn McGrath and opener Justin Langer.
Muralitharan, now fully fit after a series of shoulder problems, has played 10 Tests for Sri Lanka against Australia, taking 50 wickets.
Only two of those matches have been in Australia, in which he took three wickets, and he last played a Test there in October 2005 when representing an ICC World XI at Sydney, when match figures of 5-157 failed to prevent the Aussies winning by 210 runs.
It would be particularly ironic if the record was achieved down under as he was twice called for throwing by Australian officials, firstly by Darrell Hair in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne on the 1995-6 tour then by Ross Emerson on the 1998-9 trip.
Given a Test record of six defeats and two draws on Australian soil, with a 1-0 series defeat on their last tour in 2004, a four-wicket defeat against Queensland Sunday will not have done much for Sri Lankan confidence.
Their star batsmen failed to spend as much time at the crease as they would have liked, Sanath Jayasuriya had scores of one and two, Mahela Jayawardene made nought and 35, Marvin Atapattu 48 and seven and Thilan Samaraweera seven and three.
However, some final day resistance with the bat from Chaminda Vaas, who fired 84, helped set a target of 141 and Farveez Maharoof and Lasith Malinga unsettled the Queenslanders with five wickets between them.