The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Warne draws level with Muralitharan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Warne draws level with Muralitharan

Australia 517 & 292 for 9 decl.

Sri Lanka 455 & 183 for 8

CAIRNS JULY 13. Shane Warne equalled the Test bowling world record but Sri Lanka salvaged a draw in the second Test, reaching stumps on the final evening on Tuesday with two wickets in hand.

Warne equalled Muttiah Muralitharan's record of 527 Test wickets when he had Upul Chandana stumped by Adam Gilchrist 10 overs before the close, when Sri Lanka was struggling at 174 for eight.

Chaminda Vaas survived to reach stumps on 11 and Nuwan Zoysa, who was dropped at second slip by Ricky Ponting off Jason Gillespie's bowling, was unbeaten on three when the match ended.

Australia won the series 1-0 after its win at Darwin last week.

Warne, who started the Test with 520 wickets and took three in the first innings, bowled 37 overs on Tuesday and returned four for 70.

``I'm proud of myself to equal the record,'' Warne said.

But, ``It would have been nice to get one or two ahead of him and win the Test match.

``That would have been a perfect script I suppose.''

Set 355 to win off 85 overs after Ponting declared Australia's second innings at 292 for nine, the Sri Lankan batsmen played defensively in the last session as Warne homed in on Muralitharan's record.

Vaas took no chances in the penultimate over with eight fielders around the bat for Warne's final six deliveries.

The Australian leg-spinner needed three in the final session to move level with Muralitharan after Sri Lanka went to tea at 107 for five.

Muralitharan didn't participate in the series but is expected to be back for Sri Lanka's next series against South Africa.

Warne said his progress to the record had been slower than Muralitharan's because of the calibre of bowlers in the Australian line-up and because the pitches in Australia were more suited to pace bowling while wickets in Sri Lanka favour spin. Muralitharan has played 90 Tests.

``I've got the three or four of the best bowlers in the world over the last 10 years, like (Glenn) McGrath, (Jason) Gillespie, these guys... and he's got Vaas,'' Warne said.

``No disrespect to rest of the Sri Lankan bowlers but (Muralitharan) has got everything in his favour.

``In all likelihood he's going to get the record and keep it but I'm not worried as long as we win.''

Starting the final session with 524 career wickets and with Sri Lanka at 107 for five, Warne started a roll when he had Romesh Kaluwitharana (14) caught close to the wicket by Darren Lehmann.

Kumar Sangakkara was on 55 when he got a thick outside edge off Warne but Matthew Hayden put down a regulation chance at first slip.

Sangakkara added 11 runs before Warne struck again, knocking down middle stump with a ball that pitched in the rough and turned sharply into the left-hander.

Sangakkara frustrated Warne for most of the day, facing 174 balls after going to the crease with Sri Lanka at 15 for one. He was out with the total at 159 for seven. Chandana (14) survived a strong shout for bat-pad when Ponting dived to hold a deflection.

But Warne got the record-equalling wicket in his subsequent over, when TV umpire Bob Parry ruled in his favour on a borderline stumping decision.

Gilchrist, who broke his nose while keeping wickets earlier in the day, whipped off the bails as Chandana's back foot landed on the crease.

Warne had been involved in the first Sri Lankan dismissal, catching Marvan Atapattu (9) off Gillespie's bowling in the morning session.

He took his first wicket in the second over after lunch when he had Sanath Jayasuriya (22) caught behind to make the total 49 for two.

Mahela Jayawardene (6) got a thin edge to Glenn McGrath and was caught behind and Thilan Samaraweera (0) was run out by a direct hit from Damien Martyn as Sri Lanka slipped to 64 for four. Sangakkara and Dilshan (21) added 43 for the fifth wicket before Gillespie removed Dilshan with the last ball before tea.

Hayden's 20th century

Earlier, Hayden posted his 20th Test century and second of this match before he was bowled by Chandana for 132.

The Australians resumed on the last day at 194 for two and lost seven wickets for 98 runs.

Hayden's innings included 10 boundaries and a towering six.

The Australian opener scored 117 in the first innings and became only the eighth Test batsman to score centuries in each innings of two or more Tests.

He added 32 off 18 deliveries to his overnight 68 to reach triple figures and scored 64 runs on Tuesday off 46 balls.

Hayden, a veteran of 55 Tests, also surpassed 5,000 Test runs (5,059) and won man-of-the-match honours for his centuries in Cairns.

Chandana snared five for 101, including Martyn (52) Lehmann (21), Warne and Gillespie, and finished with the match with figures of 10-210. It was his first 10-wicket haul in a Test match.

McGrath fined

After the match, McGrath was fined 4,000 Australian dollars ($2,900) and reprimanded by match referee Chris Broad for using obscene language when umpire Brent Bowden rejected his appeal for leg before against Jayasuirya. — AP

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