Muttiah Muralitharan has announced his intentions of retiring from Test cricket. But, his skipper at the Chennai Super Kings, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has asserted that Murali’s retirement will not distract him or his team. Murali needs just eight wickets to take his toll to a staggering 800 Test Match wickets.
“Good luck to Murali, but we are here to win,” wished Dhoni.“We all know Murali is a great bowler and his achievements speak for themselves.However, this is Test cricket and we do not intend to give our wickets easily. Our batsmen would like not to give him the opportunity to reach 800 wickets during the first Test.” Dhoni made it clear that they were not in Sri Lanka for attending any parties, but for winning.
Galle has been Murali’s hunting ground with 13 wickets in two Tests against India here. India, as we all know, has sweet and sour memories of Murali, who had achieved a 21-wicket haul in three Tests in 2008. India will also be looking to set their record straight in Sri Lanka. Series victory has been eluding this Indian team since 1993. That was when controversial Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin had led the Indian side to victory.
This small battle will have serious implications on Test Cricket statistics and if Murali reaches the 800 mark, it will really be a mental block for anyone who wants to reset the record!
Popularity: 2% [?]
