Murali’s lasting contribution

‘Triumph over Adversity’:

Richard Dwight

As we see it, the game of cricket in its purest essence had its origin many years ago and, kept evolving for better or worse to become a world wide lucrative sport. It must be said that right from the inception of the game of cricket - that the spinning of the ball as a delivery was one of the aspects of the game. The spinner of the ball was found to be a significant member of the team.

There were teams that just had the odd spinner or may be two. Some teams on rare occasions had 3 spinners - whilst it’s interesting to recall, that a team had four brilliant spinners playing in a test match.

Though not into Test cricket as yet, Sri Lanka in those distant years had some good spinners, who in a sense made their own contribution for the furtherance of the game without much a do.

The radical change in Sri Lanka cricket came, when we were admitted to the arena of Test cricket. The concept itself required changes in the administrative and infrastructure. This had to do with effecting improvements to existing stadia and construction of new grounds. Selectors were kept busy, while the players lived with hope and expectancy, in the novelty of it all.

In the preliminary Test matches the Sri Lankan players acquitted themselves quite well, for the team to become a force to be reckoned with. One amongst others who performed well, was the off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

As a spinner he was extraordinary in that he at his best took 4 to 5 wickets at will. Many a reputed batsman found it difficult to play him. Mainly because he varied his deliveries with much skill and they had as well, to cope with his ‘Doosra’ - all this made batsmen to bat cautiously to be very tentative against him.

Murali’s success rate kept rapidly increasing, he had to be stopped in his track and taken off the firing line of the Sri Lankan bowling attack. They kept yelling thrower, chucker and yet other names. True to his nature he weathered it all with stoic calmness in the realisation that “Stones are thrown only at the trees that bears fruit”. They weren’t through with him yet, for on two occasions he was called by two umpires alleging that his bowling action was not legitimate.

Lesser Mortals by now would have thrown in the towel, but not the cool and composed Murali made of sterner stuff who held onto the Churchillian dictum “Never Give up”. Never in the world of cricket was there a cricketer as Murali, who was humiliated and harassed to be subjected to rigorous scrutiny and examination as he was.

He with resilience of a high order and much goodwill was cleared as spin bowler whose action was approved.

Murali has indeed carved a niche for himself in the history of cricket in this country. But above all his heroic deeds, the wickets taken and records established will certainly be his ‘triumph over Adversity’. This phenomenon will not be easily forgotten and will remain to inspire and encourage others confronted in similar situations.