Elite club membership awaits Murali

DEC 25: Sri Lankan master off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan seeks to join Test cricket's "300-Club" in the first Test with South ...

DEC 25: Sri Lankan master off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan seeks to join Test cricket’s "300-Club" in the first Test with South Africa starting on Tuesday. Muralitharan has taken 291 wickets in 57 Tests and if he captures his 300th scalp in this series he will have done so in fewer matches than any other bowler except for Australia’s Dennis Lillee, who reached 300 wickets in his 55th Test.

“I think, I must get those nine wickets in the first Test, because if I get eight or nine then we will have a good chance to win,” Muralitharan told reporters. But he agreed that the home side’s ability to play spin bowling had improved.

“When I was here in 1992 they had no idea how to play spin,”Muralitharan said. “When I came in ’95 they were better and now they are even better. They are better than the English.”

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The home side have been pitched as firm favourites to win the three-match rubber, but they could have a fight on their hands if the Sri Lankan’s extravagant style of batting pays off.

With exciting batsmen like captain Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Romesh Kaluwitharana to draw inspiration and runs from, Sri Lanka are equipped to build sizeable totals against any opposition.

However, they could also prove vulnerable to South Africa’s disciplined pace bowling and their preparation for the first Test has been less than perfect with 162 overs lost to the elements in the drawn three-day match against Natal which ended in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.

“You’re never happy with preparation, you just make the best with what you’ve got,”Sri Lankan coach Dave Whatmore said. “We need to get used to the hard work and pressure that lies ahead of us.”

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The first Test will be played on Kingsmead’s traditionally high-bouncing, seaming pitch. “We’re looking forward to bowling on it with our quicks,” Whatmore said. “I know South Africa are looking forward to bowling on it.”

Sri Lanka look almost certain to select three seamers to make up their frontline attack along with Muralitharan. South Africa, fresh from their 2-0 home series win over New Zealand, are keen to let their fast bowlers loose. “The pitch looks quite friendly for South Africa, but we won’t know for sure until we bowl on it,”coach Graham Ford told reporters.

But he added: “Sri Lanka have some real match winners and we will have to be at our best to beat them.” South Africa go into the match with an unchanged team from the side that drew the third Test against New Zealand. Sri Lanka have yet to finalise their line-up.

Teams(from)

South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (capt.), Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam, Justin Ontong(12th man).

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Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt.), Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Avishka Gunawardene, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Upul Chandana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Pramodya Wickramasinghe.