Muralitharan at ease with Sri Lanka's pace ploy

Muttiah Muralitharan has long been Sri Lanka's match-winning bowler, but the classy off-spinner has no complaints with his team's growing stress on pace to win matches.

Sri Lanka went into the first Galle test against India with four medium-pacers, a strategy which coach Dav Whatmore believes helps his team to compete well abroad.

Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando vindicated the approach by claiming five wickets to dismiss India for 187 in the first innings as Sri Lanka scored a 10-wicket win to go 1-0 up in the three-test series.

With India's batting weakened by the absence of the injured Sachin Tendulkar and Vangipurappu Laxman, the hosts have prepared a hard and green wicket for the Kandy test, starting on Wednesday, which is expected to help seamers.

But Muralitharan, having emerged the most successful bowler in Galle with a match-haul of eight for 90, is unconcerned going into his home test.

"It has always been great to play in Kandy because it is my hometown and we play only tests here," the Lancashire bowler told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the second test against India.

"I have done well here, especially in Sri Lanka everywhere," said the bowler who has 181 wickets from 34 home tests out of his Sri Lankan record tally of 325 from 63.

Offer Turn

He said Kandy wickets traditionally helped spinners, but felt the one prepared for the India game will not offer turn until the third day.

"But anyone gives any type of wicket, you just can't grumble. You should learn to bowl in any type of wicket, keep tight and bowl line and length," he said.

"In county cricket, you play in different conditions. It has helped me in many ways," he added.

Muralitharan has taken 29 wickets from six matches in Kandy with best match figures of 12-112 coming against Zimbabwe in 1997-98.

"We have quite a few good fast bowlers in our team. So they will do the job. It makes it easy for me," he said.

But how did he still manage to get a big chunk of the wickets like in Galle?

"If I am lucky. Sometimes you don't get wickets. Can't be disappointed all the time when you can't get wickets. You have to wait patiently."

That advice could be apt for his Indian counterpart Harbhajan Singh, who took only one wicket for 69 runs in 33 overs in Galle as the Sri Lankan batsmen preferred to play him cautiously.

Harbhajan Singh, 20, made a superb comeback from a suspect bowling action to capture 32 wickets to help India rally to a 2-1 home test series win over Australia early this year and took 10 wickets in the following two-test series in Zimbabwe.

Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly was not worried about his key bowler. "He bowled pretty decently at Galle. I know he has not picked four or five like Murali has.

"But it is another test. Wait and see."

Mail Cricket Editor