da blaze casino： Hill-country spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan came agonisingly close torecording the best bowling figures ever in Test cricket at the AsgiriyaInternational Stadium on Saturday morning only to be denied all ten whenChaminda Vaas inadvertently
Charlie Austin05-Jan-2002Hill-country spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan came agonisingly close torecording the best bowling figures ever in Test cricket at the AsgiriyaInternational Stadium on Saturday morning only to be denied all ten whenChaminda Vaas inadvertently dismissed last batsman Henry Olonga.Nevertheless, the 29-year-old has not given up hope of breaking Jim Laker’sbowling world record.Muralitharan, who finished with nine for 51, still the fifth best figures in124 years of Test cricket, would have surpassed Jim Laker’s ten for 53against Australians in 1956 if Russel Arnold had not fumbled a simplebat-pad catch off the first ball of the day. Then, fifth ball, Muralitharanspun an off-break sharply back into the pads of Travis Friend only to seeumpire Venkatraghavan rule in the batsman’s favour.Next over, Vaas ran through the motions, bowling gentle medium pace atnumber 11 Olonga. But the dreadlocked tailender couldn’t resist a swipe theleft-armers last ball and edged behind to be caught by Kumar Sangakkara.There was a stifled appeal and a moment of silence – when the Sri Lankanplayers wondered whether they could just ignore the final wickets’ fall -before umpire Asoka de Silva was forced to raise his finger.Muralitharan remained philosophical afterwards: “I am a little bitdisappointed but I am quite pleased with my performance. On another day theluck would have gone my way and I would have got the tenth wicket – but thatis part of the game.”But he hasn’t given up hope of taking all ten. Some other day,” he mused.”It depends on how my bowling goes but getting ten wickets is stillachievable.”He rated his nine for 65 against England at the Oval in 1999 as the betterperformance: “The nine wickets that I took there were better than thisbecause here I had my home support, which always makes it easier, andEngland were also a stronger side than Zimbabwe.”Muralitharan may have missed out on ten wickets, a feat only achieved byLaker (10-53) and Kumble (10-74), but he is the second man to take ninewickets in an innings twice and in the second innings will have a chance ofeclipsing New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee by becoming the first bowler to claimten ten-fors. During the day he also cruised pass Ian Botham (383) intoseventh position in the alltime wicket-taking list with 391 victims.He hopes to pass 400 in the next Test in Galle, if not in the second inningshere, but then expects a tougher fight to get to 500 as Sri Lanka embark ona difficult schedule overseas.”I am bowling really well at the moment but it is going to be harder when Igo abroad, as they are clearly not going to prepare me spinning tracks,” hesaid. “Nevertheless, if I can continue my form, and pick up four or five agame on the seaming tracks abroad, then I could get to 500 in the not toodistant future.”Sri Lankan captain, Sanath Jayasuriya, disagreed with Muralitharan,believing his virtuoso performance topped his first nine-wicket haul againstEngland: “I don’t think you can compare it to his nine-wicket haul at theOval. This was a more effective effort because he took all his wickets onthe first day of a Test match on a pitch that got flatter and flatter as theday progressed.”Geoff Marsh, the Zimbabwean coach, refusing to be drawn on whetherMuralitharan was a better bowler than Shane Warne, paid tributeafterwards: ” It was a great performance, particularly so because he did itin the first innings of a Test match. Every year he plays, he grows inexperience and he is still improving. Whilst we have been here he has beenworking on some different balls, but it is accuracy combined with the amountof turn that he can extract that makes him so special.”Muralitharan had bowled in the morning despite having torn ligaments on thering finger of his bowling hand when he had dislocated the same finger theprevious evening whilst diving full length to take a catch off the finalball of the day.He had no regrets about going for the catch: “Whenever catches come you haveto take them – I didn’t think about the tenth wicket. The guys are alwayscatching mine and show tremendous courage fielding close to the bat when Iam bowling, so I have to do the same.”According to team physio, Alex Kontouri, Muralitharan may have to travel toMelbourne after the tour for pre-cautionary surgery on the ligaments. With asix-week break scheduled after the Zimbabwe series he is not expected tomiss any international cricket if he does.Pain or not Muralitharan is determined to bowl in the second innings:”Hopefully, I will be able to bowl in the second innings although I expectthe pain to be the same. It’s not going to die down in two or three days.But even if there is pain, I have to bowl and help get the wickets.”