Muralitharan targets 500 Test wickets

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has set his sights on claiming 500 Test wickets, but says he will quietly work towards his target.

Murali, who has taken 340 Test wickets and captured 23 to propel Sri Lanka to a 2-1 victory in the just-ended three-Test series against India, feels motivation is the key to continued success.

"I would love to take 500 wickets. That is my ambition. But the thing is, you never know, because I have another 160 wickets to take," Muralitharan said in an interview to Reuters.

The 29-year-old was the pivot as the hosts crushed India by an innings and 77 runs in the deciding Test.

Sri Lanka had looked to its four-pronged pace attack to deliver in the first two games played on grassy pitches, but Muralitharan shone through to finish as the player of the series.

"In Sri Lanka you have to make a little bit quick wickets. That helps the spinners as well. I don't think you necessarily need to prepare a spinning wicket," he said.

Muralitharan said it was a great series as Sri Lanka achieved only their second victory in nine series against India, but was modest describing his success.

"I bowled whatever I normally do, but they didn't play that well this time," he said.

In the series, he beat most of the Indian batsmen with straighter balls, foxing them as they played for the turn.

Mixing it up
"When I played in 1997, I was not sure about straighter deliveries much. But I have improved a lot, nowadays I mix it up," he said, referring to a drawn two-Test series made famous by Sri Lanka's world record score of 952 for six wickets.

He said it did not affect him when he endures a wicketless period or when batsmen use their pads to counter his bowling.

"Sometimes you can't get wickets. You can't be disappointed. You have to keep concentrating and bowl, do what you have to do," he said.

On a perfect batting pitch, Muralitharan returned his second best Test figures of eight for 87 runs in the first innings of the Colombo Test to set up his team's victory.

In the second innings with the Indian batsmen fighting to save the Test, he bowled unchanged for an entire session to claim two crucial wickets.

"On unhelpful wickets, you have to just keep the batsmen tied. They will make the mistake and I can capitalise on that."

Muralitharan was the centre of a major controversy during Sri Lanka's 1995 tour of Australia when he was no-balled seven times for chucking. But his whipping action was subsequently cleared after Tests showed he had a naturally bent elbow.

Other than that controversy, Muralitharan has had a quiet existence compared to his flamboyant Australian counterpart Shane Warne.

Muralitharan said motivation was the key to a cricketer's longevity. "You have to be motivated and what you do you have to do best. And if you don't love the game, just retire."

Unplayable Delivery
He also provided the delivery of the series to dismiss left-handed opener Sadagopan Ramesh.

Bowling wide of the crease from round the wicket, the angled ball pitched outside the leg-stump only to spin viciously and clip the off-bail.

The delivery drew comparisons to Warne's "ball of the century", a huge leg-break with his first ball of the 1993 Ashes series in England to bowl Mike Gatting round the legs.

"Until now, television programmes have shown the Warne delivery. Now on they will show my getting bowled. It was simply unplayable," a bemused Ramesh said.

Mail Cricket Editor