Warne, Murali tip each other to snare 1,000 wickets

SYDNEY, Wednesday (AFP) Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan Wednesday each predicted the other would take 1,000 career Test wickets as they prepared to face off at the spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground.

Warne said he was relishing the prospect of the world's top four slow bowlers playing at the SCG and backed the World XI to reverse its dismal form against Australia in the six-day Test beginning Friday.

The Australian, who has taken a world record 623 wickets, predicted Sri Lanka's Muralitharan would be the first Test bowler to pass the 1,000-wicket mark.

"Look at him, he's young, he's fresh and he gets wickets all the time," Warne told reporters.

"I don't think there's any rivalry there. I'm just happy to hang onto it while I've got a little lead on him and I'm sure he'll catch that up pretty quick."

The Sri Lankan, on 563 Test wickets, said he doubted Warne would give up his crown easily. "Shane is being modest, he can take 1,000 wickets because he's going to play for another five or six years," he said.

Warne said cricket fans were in for a spectacle when he, Australia teammate Stuart MacGill and the World XI's Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori were set loose on the SCG.

"I've always said the more spinners the better," Warne told reporters.

"I'm a little bit biased - I think one of the great things in the game is seeing a batsman prepared to use his feet against a spin bowler... that and watching a fast bowler trying to knock someone's head off are the two most exciting things in cricket."

Warne joins an Australian team determined to continue its winning form that led to a 3-0 whitewash of the World XI in the one-day series in Melbourne.

Warne defended the Super Series concept which has pitted a team of the world's best cricketers against Australia in one-day matches and the six-day Test starting on Friday. He said he expected the World XI to bounce back from defeat.

"I expect a very, very good showing from these guys," he said. "I think it's going to be a good spectacle, playing the World XI versus the best side in the world is a great concept."

Warne was particularly wary of a Brian Lara backlash after the West Indian batsman scored only five runs and was skittled for two ducks in the one-day series.

"You don't keep players like Brian Lara down for long - you don't make 0-5-0 when you're one of the great players," he said.

"It a bit ominous for us, I suppose, going into the Test match. He can be pretty destructive on his day so we're probably not looking forward to that."

The Australian leg-spinner, who no longer plays one-day internationals, said the Test arena rewarded consistency in a way not always evident in the short form of the game.