There’s not many bowlers in the world who can take eight wickets in an innings and have that performance rated only somewhere among their top 10.
At one point on Monday, it looked as though Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan might become only the third bowler in cricket history to take all 10 wickets in an innings — after former England spinner Jim Laker and India legspinner Anil Kumble.
The charismatic Muralitharan ended up with 8-70 to help bowl out England for 190 in its second innings and hand Sri Lanka a series-leveling 134-run victory in the third Test at Trent Bridge.
It was Muralitharan’s 53rd five-wicket haul in Tests and, added to his 3-63 in England’s first innings, made it the 16th time he’s taken 10 wickets or more in a Test.
The offspinner has 635 wickets from 106 Tests, second only to Australia’s Shane Warne with 685 from 140.
Asked where Muralitharan’s latest feat rated, his captain Mahela Jayawardena said: ”It’s probably one of the best but there are quite a few. He’s done this on quite a regular basis, it’s not the first time I’ve seen it.”
Jayawardene said as a slips fielder he never tires of having one of the best positions from which to watch ”Murali” work his magic.
”It’s probably among the top 10 … it’s an amazing performance,” he said.
Also high on Jayawardene’s list of Muralitharan’s greatest feats was his 9-65 against England at The Oval in 1998.
Muralitharan’s best innings is 9-51 against Zimbabwe at Kandy in January 2002.
During the second Test at Edgbaston, which Sri Lanka lost by six wickets, Muralitharan suggested this could be his last Test series in England. He will be 39 by the time his team is next scheduled to tour here in 2011.
But his teammates aren’t so sure, with several saying since then that they wouldn’t be surprised if he was still tearing through batting lineups as he approached 40 years of age.
”If he’s got the enthusiasm, the hunger for cricket, he’ll definitely be here in five years,” Jayawardene said on Monday. ”I think we should enjoy him as he is right now, he’s doing brilliantly, his motivation is great.
”I personally am very honoured to play with him in the side … he’s a very, very nice guy and I’m very proud to be part of this group with Murali because you probably won’t get as nice a guy forever.” – Sapa-AP