Tue, Dec 04, 2007 page20

• Murali takes world-record 709th Test wicket

  BALLSY Belittled as a `chucker' and no-balled by umpires, the man with the bent elbow and the unorthodox action now has a record all his own

  • AP
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  Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan claimed his 709th Test wicket yesterday to surpass the record set by retired Australian legspinner Shane Warne.

  Muralitharan, playing in his 116th Test, reached the milestone when he bowled England's Paul Collingwood for 45 during the third day's play at his home ground of Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy.

  Muralitharan had a frustrating first spell, bowling nine overs without success and conceding 19 runs. His breakthrough came in the first over of his second spell, the 26th of the day, when he clipped Collingwood's middle stump.

  

  Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, center, celebrates after breaking the world record tally of 708 wickets by dismissing Paul Collingwood in Kandy, Sri Lanka, yesterday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Muralitharan equaled Warne's mark on Sunday, claiming four wickets before play was abandoned at tea as a result of rain.

  The offspinner previously held the record in 2004 when he overhauled West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh's mark of 519 wickets, only to be surpassed by Warne. In July, Muralitharan entered an exclusive club with Warne when he brought up his 700th wicket.

  On Sunday, Warne predicted his rival would hold the record for some time to come.

  "It was nice to have it for a short while but I knew I would only have it for a short time," he said. "Murali has said he wanted to take 1000 Test wickets and he is every chance of getting there. Although he will have to play for some time yet, if he does get there I don't think anyone else will catch him."

  Kandy's Asgiriya Stadium is a lucky charm for Muralitharan. It was at this ground he first rose to prominence, created records as a teenager for St. Anthony's school, before equaling Warne's 700 wickets against Bangladesh.

  Muralitharan's ability to turn the ball comes from his unorthodox wristy offspin and an elbow bent since birth. That bent joint has been central to the debate over his bowling action.

  The legitimacy of his bowling action came to a head in 1995 in Australia, when home umpire Darrell Hair no-balled Muralitharan for "throwing" during a Test match in Melbourne.

  His action was subsequently cleared by an Australian biomechanics expert, but he was no-balled again in Australia in 1998 and reported by English match referee Chris Broad in Sri Lanka in 2004.

  The International Cricket Council, after a major investigation, ruled that as a result of his birth abnormality, his action is legal.

  Despite the controversy, Muralitharan has become the most potent bowler in contemporary cricket using his trademark "doosra," topspinners and varying angles.

  Wisden, the authoritative cricket almanac, named Muralitharan the best cricketer of last year.

  Muralitharan's achievement on the cricket field has made him a household name in Sri Lanka and a source of hope and inspiration to a nation battered by decade of civil war. His status as the only Tamil in the national team links together the two warring parties on the national cricket team.
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