Nottingham Test memorable: Muralitharan

CRICKET: Muttiah Muralitharan was all smiles as he posed for the photographers at the wheel of an elegant convertible while inaugurating a vintage car rally here on Sunday.

The man who has eyes that laugh, is peering down another stretch of a journey that his eventful, at times dramatic. The roadblocks have not deterred his spirit. And he has negotiated the testing bends with the confidence and skill of a champion.

The 34-year-old off-spin wizard with an astonishing 635 wickets in 106 Tests at 22.10, had to fly to Chennai from London in June, missing the last three ODIs of a five-match series against England. Murali's six-month old son, Naren, had just undergone an abdominal surgery, and he was now the responsible father being with his family in the hour of need.

"I was very worried. But I knew we have the best doctors in Chennai. They have done a great job. My son has recovered very well," a beaming Muralitharan told The Hindu.

Before his urgent departure from the Old Blighty, Muralitharan had conjured an astonishing spell of eight for 70 (he had match figures of 11 for 132) at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, as the Sri Lankans roared back to level the three-Test series.

More than his own performance, Muralitharan dwells on the team effort. "It was a great display. I think we needed that. England was playing really well." Muralitharan calls the Nottimham Test the turning point. "It was crucial that we won the last Test. It gave us the momentum to do well in the one-dayers as well.

We will be going to England next in four years' time and I don't know whether I would be playing that long. Nottingham was memorable." Probe him about his bowling in the Test and he replies, "Every wicket was vital. The breakthroughs came and I just got on top of the batsmen. The pressure built up on them. They crumbled. I relied on two deliveries, the doosra and the off-spinner. Perhaps, the top-spinner as well. The trick is to keep the batsman guessing."

Muralitharan is confident that Sri Lanka would triumph in the ODI tri-series featuring the host, India and South Africa in August. "India and South Africa are good sides. But we will be playing at home and that's an advantage. I am extremely optimistic." Mahela Jayawardene's captaincy has impressed him. "He has done extremely well. Made the right changes. Hopefully he will continue to do well in the future also."

The off-spinner is all admiration for ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble, whose bowling was among the key factors in India's Test series victory in the Caribbean. "His line and length are exemplary. His temperament is very good, so is his discipline. He is eager to play for the country and wants to perform all the time."