In 2002, Wisden carried out a statistical analysis of all Test matches in an attempt to rank the greatest cricketers in history, and Muralitharan was ranked as the number one bowler of all time. Muralitharan's unique bowling action begins with a "flapping wings" run-up, and culminates with an extremely wristy release which had him mistaken for a leg spinner early in his career by Allan Border. Aside from his off break, he also is a master of the doosra, the surprise delivery which turns from leg to off with no discernible change of action. He is also able to bowl orthodox leg spin, as shown during the South African tour of Sri Lanka in 2006, managing to extract prodigious spin.
Since his debut in 1992, Muralitharan has taken over 700 Test wickets and over 400 One-day International wickets, and was the first man to take 1,000 wickets in all international cricket. Currently his Test average is 21.73, which compares favourably with other contemporary spin bowlers like Shane Warne (25.41) and Anil Kumble (28.65). In 2002, Wisden carried out a statistical analysis of all Test matches in an attempt to rank the greatest cricketers in history, and Muralitharan was ranked as the number one bowler of all time Often referred to simply as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is generally regarded as the greatest off-spin bowler in cricket history. However, Muralitharan's career has not been without controversy, with the legality of his bowling action being called into question; it has since been scientifically proven that his bowling action is legal.
Critics will also grumble about Murali's good fortune at playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe so regularly. Indeed, it is true that approximately 25% of his victims have come from these two minnows. But Murali would also have enjoyed Warne's volume of matches against England, a team against whom he has been equally prolific. In any case, his 26 wickets in this series is now par for the course considering the fact that he raced from 600 to 700 in just 12 matches: an average haul of 8.33 wickets per Test against opposition that includes Pakistan (2 Tests), England (3 Tests), South Africa (2 Tests), New Zealand (2 Tests) and Bangladesh (3 Tests). His wicket-taking was no more prolific against Bangladesh than it was against the rest. - Charlie Austin, Cricinfo
http://www.hilalscricket.com/ Murali gives us a rare look into his magic, courtesy of Mark Nicholas and the Channel 9 crew.
Murali now becomes the highest wicket taker in Test Cricket history. Sri Lanka VS England 1st Test | Day3 Courtesy http://www.hilalscricket.com/
Muttiah Muralitharan moved level with Shane Warne on 708 wickets as he bowled Sri Lanka back into the first Test at Kandy. He claimed the first four England batsmen to fall on the second day as they lost 5 for 78 and drew level with Warne when he removed Ravi Bopara. But he was forced to wait for his crowning moment as rain, which had threatened during the morning, moved across the ground and wiped out the final three hours of play.
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Muttiah Murali Muralidaran Vs Kevin Pietersen | World Cup 2007
Murali Vs Kevin Pietersen, the much awaited showdown at the ICC cricket world cup 2007
Muralitharan's one-man demolition effort provided England a deflating end to the summer and brought home the stark truth that spin bowling is becoming an acute embarrassment for them. The famine of home-bred slow bowling is one thing, but the hunger pangs are made even more acute when opponents are feasting themselves. England literally played into Muralitharan's hands when their batsmen refused to make use of their feet and preferred to play him from the crease which allowed Ranatunga to set attacking fields for his key spinner.
Wisden's Greatest bowler of all time. http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/113641.html
Legend in the making Muttiah Muralitharan
Cricket's greatest spin bowler.
A mesmerising four for 31 by off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan powered Sri Lanka to an emphatic 81-run victory against New Zealand in the first semi-final at Jamaica on Tuesday. A tremendous performance by the ever-reliant Muralitharan, who was on a hat-trick at one stage, ensured that the Kiwis, who were 105-2, lost momentum and within a blink of an eye, collapsed to 116-7.
Murali needs no introduction to what he can â and is â doing.
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Murali Magic | New Zealand | World Cup 2007 | 1st SEMI FINAL
What a genius this man is, like a fine wine he gets better with age. Murali held a brilliant lunging one-handed catch to dismiss all-rounder Jacob Oram off his own bowling. Next ball Brendon McCullumâÃÂÃÂs top-edged sweep was athletically caught by a diving Chamara Silva, running round from square leg to leave Murali on a hat-trick at the start of his next over.
The world seems to close in on a batsman who is so oppressed. Reason departs and is replaced by panic - ``Do I lead with pad or bat? I must not lunge with both together. For how long can I play a miss? I must not be shackled, I must attack this demon.'' So Butcher tried the chasse again but this time, fatally, he left his crease just a split second before Muralitharan released the ball. The bowler dragged the fizzer shorter by a foot, beat the batsman's desperate lurch and had him stumped by a country mile. Dreamy, old-fashioned stuff captured in one man's artistry. But Muralitharan is different again from what has gone before. He controls the ball from his fingers but uses an enormous flick of the wrist to increase the revolutions which make the ball spin so. He is not a 'drifter' in the way that, say, Fred Titmus was, or Robert Croft is now, someone who swings the ball towards the slips from an off-stump line and then trusts in spin to create the gap between bat and pad.
Murali made it five for the innings, for merely the 54th time in his career, as Andre Nel played back to a viciously turning offbreak and lost his off stump as the ball ripped through the gap between bat and pad. Boje had a big job on his hands, shielding the last two batsmen, but then neither Dale Steyn nor Makhaya Ntini had the skills needed to counter the ever-present danger of Muralitharan. Steyn jumped down the track to Murali, was beaten all ends up as the ball turned in enough to clip the leg stump. That wicket made it ten in the match for Murali.
In 2002, Wisden carried out a statistical analysis of all Test matches in an attempt to rank the greatest cricketers in history, and Muralitharan was ranked as the number one bowler of all time. Muralitharan's unique bowling action begins with a "flapping wings" run-up, and culminates with an extremely wristy release which had him mistaken for a leg spinner early in his career by Allan Border. Aside from his off break, he also is a master of the doosra, the surprise delivery which turns from leg to off with no discernible change of action. He is also able to bowl orthodox leg spin, as shown during the South African tour of Sri Lanka in 2006, managing to extract prodigious spin.
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