SL back Muralitharan to help square India series

---

MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar throws a ball during a training session ahead of the third and final cricket Test match against Sri Lanka. — AFP Photo

MUMBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters): Sri Lanka are backing Muttiah Muralitharan to strike in the third and final test against India starting Wednesday in the master spinner's final overseas test.
Muralitharan, the world record holder for most wickets in test and one-day cricket, will retire from the test format next year. The tourists hope off-spinner Muralitharan will help them record their first test win on Indian soil to square the series.
The 37-year-old had a rough time in the first two tests, managing just five wickets at the cost of 396 runs on unhelpful pitches on his fourth tour of India.
Sri Lanka lost last week's second test in Kanpur by an innings and 144 runs, falling behind in the series 1-0 after a high-scoring first test ended in a draw in Ahmedabad.
"Murali is still the spearhead of our attack and we back him 100 per cent to turn it around and win the match for us," Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara told reporters Tuesday.
"He's still our best spinner and he still might be the best spinner in the world. When you have that quality in the side you have to back that quality, that ability. It's no different for tomorrow."
India are currently third in the world rankings behind South Africa (first) and Sri Lanka (second) but are close enough to leapfrog them both into the top spot for the first time with a victory in Mumbai.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni played down the significance of the milestone, saying that talking about it would affect the team's approach.