There are only few cricketers everyone love to watch. even the opponents want them to suceed. No matter what I dont want them to retire. I never get tired of watching them repeatedly. Muttiah Muralitharan is certainly one among them. This Blog is a tribute to one of the best spinners in the world. As I write this, Murali will be trying with all his experience to become the first bowler to take 800 test wickets.
Muralitharan - The two things that come to my mind when I hear his name.
1. The big eyes that roll out when he shouts for a wicket which reflects his confidence.
2. His unorthodox batting style and the big smile he gives after missing the shot.
According to me, Murali is all about confident cricket. Certainly Murali tops the list who nurtured Sri Lankan cricket. Murali leads all the way in developing Sri Lanka who were once minnows of test cricket to one of the best. All these years he had lead his team from front. None of their test wins would have been possible without Murali. I hope Murali is the only one who is destined to this kind of glory.
Murali obviously holds every record possible for a bowler in Test cricket.He is the leading wicket taker in both forms of the game. As i write this he is 795 and counting in test and 515 + in ODIs. He Holds the record for most number of five wicket hauls in the annals of test cricket and also against every test playing nation. He is also the highest wicket taker in losing cause too, 210 wickets (thanks cricinfo). He is the only player to get 50+ wickets against every test playing nation. Muralidaran remains the only bowler in the world to capture at least one five wicket haul against each opposition he has played at home. Thanks to yahoo for these stats. Any combination of record that you come across in test bowling, Murali will be the holder of all those.
Murali's career has seen ups and downs like any other cricketer. He was blamed for chucking due to his weird bowling action. But he has never let those trivial things to bog down his career. He came back strongly and he went on to break every record as a bowler. Murali is well known for his competitive cricket. His variations , change in pace, doosras all were too hard to pick for even the best batsmen in the world. Even though many cricketers suggest Murali has been overlooked as best bowler in Test history as he holds around 200 test wickets against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, we can never under-estimate his remaining 600 wickets which has come against best cricketing nations.
Murali is extremely dedicated to cricket. He is one of the most enthusiastic player I have seen. His on-field presence can be seen with utmost dynamism and vigor. I have not seen a single moment where he gives a dull , awry look. He is also one of the best fielders I have seen. The spirit with which he chases the ball brings cricket alive. His expressions on the field tells how much he loves the game of cricket. Murali had always played the game of cricket in right manner. He can never be tagged with any kind of foul activities, be it ball tampering or sledging. He has always done the talking with the Ball.
Murali's off-field gesture always suggest how humble and down-to earth guy he is. The atmosphere around him is always as lively as his. We may not see Murali bowl with his white dress, but what keeps me going is that he can be seen bowling for my home team CSK for some more years. No one can emulate him in future. He is like Bradman with the ball.
I hope Murali gets his 800th wicket before bidding adieu to Test cricket. No one deserves it more than him. According to me , an era has ended in Test cricket as Murali leaves. I wanted to see the smile on his face as he gets his 800th wicket. Its indeed justice for a nation to lose against someone like Murali for the one last time. Thanks Murali for the decade long entertainment.
