Thursday, 08 November 2007


Muttiah Muralitharan ( The island)

Australia have only ever lost one Test to Sri Lanka: a six-wicket defeat in Kandy at the start of the 1999-2000 season. No wonder then that Muttiah Muralitharan has insisted that winning a Test in Australia is far and away his greatest priority.
Muralitharan's impending status as the leading wicket-taker in Test matches has dominated much of the build-up to the Test. To achieve the record on Australian soil would not only be dramatic because it is Shane Warne's backyard, but because Murali has endured so much in previous encounters with Australia.
'No-ball!' was a cry that echoed round the Kensington Oval earlier this year as Aussie fans attempted to ridicule the great spinner, although this would not have depressed Murali as much as losing that World Cup final.
Verbal abuse and accusations of chucking (from an Aussie umpire as well as fans) will have hurt, but not as much as the string of defeats suffered at the hands of Australia. Having taken part in that victory in Kandy, Murali will know just how sweet it is to beat the Aussies.
Ricky Ponting is the only Australian survivor from that day, and finds himself in charge of Australia's second major transformation since then. The problem for the rest of the Test world is how seamless this transformation of personnel is for the world champions.
Shane Warne is irreplaceable, but that seems less of a problem when the man you bring in has taken part in 40 Test matches and is highly unlucky not to have played more. Stuart Clark only has nine Tests to his name and must fill the role vacated by Glenn McGrath, but has shown over the last year that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
In short, no other team in history could lose two players with 1,271 Test wickets to their name and feel confident about still beating all-comers. Australia have that luxury.
Indeed while Sri Lanka have never been better placed to record their first Test win on Australian soil, the task ahead is massive.
Mahela Jayawardene is right to believe that he has a bowling attack that matches the Aussies, and could even claim to having greater variation. But as the warm-up matches have shown, the batsmen are on the flaky side and will need to show strength of character.
The key will be to take the hosts by surprise and put them on the back foot as early as possible. If Sri Lanka can plant a seed of doubt in Australia's mind and make them wonder whether they're the same team without the retirees, the tourists will have a chance.
With the series comprising just two Tests, a single victory will be enough to consider the tour a huge success. It's still a big ask, but not one that is completely beyond Murali and co.

Last Five Results:
2004: Second Test:
Match drawn at Cairns
2004: First Test:
Australia won by 149 runs at Darwin
2003/04: Third Test:
Australia won by 121 runs at Colombo
2003/04: Second Test:
Australia won by 27 runs at Kandy
2003/04: First Test:
Australia won by 197 runs at Galle