The Hindu : Sport : First Test begins at Kandy today

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First Test begins at Kandy today

Ted Corbett

Muralitharan is just four scalps shy of Shane Warne’s tally of 708

— PHOTO: AP

WITHIN HIS SIGHTS: Muttiah Muralitharan will have a splendid opportunity to bring up his record in front of his home crowd in the first Test against England.

KANDY: If — I almost wrote when but the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go astray — Muttiah Muralitharan breaks Shane Warne’s world record of 708 wickets here in the next five days it will not just be the greatest day in his life; it will be the finest moment Sri Lankan cricket has ever known and a wonderful feat on his home ground.

It is possible that no one will ever overtake this astonishing record. He was called “the special one” by his pal Sanath Jayasuriya after the former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, but in many ways he is the extra special one — unique, a credit to his nation, beloved by cricketers and fans alike.

Lets look at his contenders for the title of The Greatest.

Warne is retired, gone to beer advertising, aged 38. Anil Kumble has 573 victims but even though he is captain — and with the shortest run-up — it is difficult to see him, aged 36, taking another 150 Test wickets.

Chaminda Vaas is 18th in the all-time list with 320 wickets but his career cannot continue long enough for him to find another 400 wickets; Makhaya Ntini has 319, Brett Lee 247, Matthew Hoggard 240, Daniel Vettori 232, Jacques Kallis 221, but Murali is not yet finished.

Ntini, Hoggard, Vettori and Lee will obviously add to their list of bewildered batsman but it is unlikely they have the years left to get close to 700, much less pass this special record. The fast bowlers are now injured too often, the slow bowlers need a new trick like Murali’s doosra.

We may have to wait for a new kid to challenge whatever total Murali reaches before he gives up, perhaps to return to the family business of sweet manufacture.

Fledging career

Monty Panesar is 25, just starting his career and has 73 wickets but even if he bowls until he is 40 he will struggle to reach 700 — an impossible target unless you have the special gifts and the special deliveries that have put Murali at the top of the pile.

His 700-plus wickets may be regarded as the bowling equivalent of Don Bradman’s magic figure of 99.94.

The scene has already been set at the Asgiriya Stadium although Murali might wish for a more helpful pitch than the true wicket claimed by the groundstaff. Life size portraits of Murali will be placed inside and outside the ground where his school coach spotted his potential as a spinner — Murali wanted to bowl fast.

A fireworks display will mark the record and a procession of elephants will set the seal on his biggest day.

By the way, England, which recently won an ODI series on the island 3-2, will also take part in this first Test although it will be remarkable if they are regarded as anything but spear carriers by the 30,000 locals inside and outside the ground.

Rain is forecast, the pitch may favour its pacemen and the batsmen have played confidently since they arrived in Sri Lanka. They will not be thanked for being party poopers but they might even win against a Sri Lankan side which hardly played up to its reputation in Australia this month.

The teams:

Sri Lanka: Mahele Jayawardene (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Michael Vandort, Jehan Mubarak, Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan.

England (from): Michael Vaughan (captain), Alistair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara, Matthew Prior, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison and James Anderson.

Umpires: Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf (both Pakistan),.TV umpire: T.H. Wijewardene. Match referee: Jeff Crowe.