12.50 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

A tinge of sadness as Murali spins out

Published
By Roopesh Raj

I remember the hairs on the nape of my neck standing as Brian Lara took his lap of honour on the day he retired. There was a tear forming at the corner of one of my eyes. I was seated on the sofa of my living room. Still, I could sense the loss of greatness that was about to envelop world cricket. I never saw Lara play ‘live’.

Sadly.

I did see Muttiah Muralitharan from the press box of the stadium in my hometown of Pune. Then again, in Mumbai. The first time you watched him ‘live’, you didn’t see or look for anything else other than his action. You needed to make a judgement for yourself. Was his action legal?

After two overs of careful inspection, you were as baffled as the batsman (who by now was in the pavilion with you). It was clearly inconclusive. And remained so in my eyes till the day Murali retired – Thursday, July 22, 2010.

What is not inconclusive is the Sri Lankan’s claim to being the greatest spin bowler in the history of the game. Only Shane Warne comes close. But, Warne does not have 800 wickets. In fact, no bowler does.

There was more irony in play at the packed Galle stadium on that fateful Thursday afternoon than in an entire Jeremy Clarkson book. Or a PG Wodehouse tale, if you prefer.

Not lost on the millions of Indians who had tuned in across the world was the irony that Murali was going to complete his stupendous feat against the greatest players of spin in the cricketing world (or so they think).

Ironically, also, it was a fellow Sri Lankan, Lasith Malinga that was most likely to prevent Murali getting the 800. And double the irony here for the fact that after Murali, nobody’s action has been as distracting to batsmen and spectators as Malinga’s.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that a classic potpourri of outcomes left the cricketing world thick with anticipation and drenched in drama.

The greatest test of a true great is how your immediate rivals view you. I spoke to Harbhajan Singh here in Dubai a couple of years ago about the veracity of Murali’s bowling action.

Bhajji, as we know, is not one to shy away from a tight slap (I escaped unscathed) or a frank comment. Without batting an eyelid, Bhajji said he had no problem with Murali’s action and felt the secret to Murali’s success was not his action per se, but the angle at which he could bend his wrist.

This increased the number of revolutions on the ball, and therefore, got more spin for him than any other bowler. Add that to his variations and you will begin to see the magic that made Murali.

Murali has picked Bhajji as the man most likely to cross the 800 figure. I doubt that very much. We have seen a record set that is unlikely to be crossed anytime soon.

VVS Laxman did what any self-respecting Indian cricketer would do – he ran himself out rather than show up in history as the 800th Murali victim. Pragyan Ojha stayed true to the gentlemanly spirit of the game. He obliged. Leaving me with tales to tell the grandkids of how I saw the only person in the world with 800 Test wickets - with his nostrils flaring, eyes red and wide, mouth contorted - bowl ‘live’.