Genius or magician or killer? This is the question that arises as I speak about this man. Awesome character and a cool customer. Handles his challenges without any pressure. The man I'm talking about is the spin wizard of cricket, Muttiah Muralitharan. Having followed cricket right from my childhood, it would not be good on my part if I don't tell about this cool headed player. A player who can do wonders when given the kookaburra ball in hand. A spin bowler who has got a unique run up and action, amazes the batsmen with each of his delivery.This guy has got everything in him. Started his cricketing career in the year of 1992, went on to take 1000 wickets in both formats (one day internationals and tests) of the game, retired from the longer version recently after amassing 800 wickets in the same. Absolutely strong in his basics, this man has made proud the small country he represented, Srilanka, though he is from the South Indian origin.
ACTION:
This has been his strength and as well as his weakness. This has made him visit the University of Western Australia more often than the cricket field. He starts off his action by giving some trial revs on the kookaburra from the right to the left arm. Then takes it to his shoulders and then after transferring it to the right, where he finds the grip that he needs , grips it right across the seam and leaves the rest to his wrists. Murali has a bent wrist and a dislocated elbow by birth. It is such that when he bowls, the rotation of the wrists gives the ball some more revs supported by the elbow. It makes his arm straighten up before bowling. This bent arm action of Murali has been a controversy throughout his career of 18 years. It has given some work for the biomechanics to work with their softwares and find what is the thing that makes him the owner of so many wickets? A lot of bowlers in the world of cricket has got an action in which there is a rotation of the arm and the arm straightens up at the point of release. After a lot of expert analysis, his action was forgiven and he has used the maximum of it. His eyes widen as he bowls and that also adds the dread for the batsmen.As he releases the ball, it pitches hard on the turf and takes off at an astonishing speed with maximum turn. This makes it a hell for the one at the receiver's end.
Widening of his eyes as he releases
What makes him so special?
Well, to tell it in one word, it is the quality. Quality of bowling. He has got a lot of variations. Especially, he likes the right hand batsmen of the world playing his delivery. It is good for him to see the batsmen having no clue to his balls. He reads the game well. He is a thinking cricketer. He has got a lot in his bag. The conventional off spinner, the flipper, the arm ball, the away going delivery from the right handers (doosra), the flighted delivery and a lot more. Batsmen have wondered for a while after having bowled through the gate. between bat and pad. The following link contains a video that shows how good he is while doing his business:
Absolute genius. Butcher has got no clue of where the ball came from. So much of turn. It's unbelievable. No wonder he is the owner of 800 wickets. That man deserves it. Even at the recent test at Galle, Dhoni was bowled in a similar manner wherein he had no clue of how the ball turned from way outside the off stump and hit the top of the leg stump. That also raised the question of why is this man retiring when he's still got so much to show the world?You can see much more including the one above, in the following link below:
What else has this guy got?
Temperament and stamina to bowl in whatever condition and whatever situation he is given. He takes it as a challenge. He can bowl for long hours. A number of overs with a great level of concentration. If the batsmen is unyielding to all the above mentioned tricks of Murali, then he seeks his short cover or short mid-off or the slip cordon fielders for his scalps. He flights his delivery and likes when the batsman starts driving through the cover-extra cover region. He knows that the batsmen can't manage the variations in flight for the whole day. It will either land in the hands of short cover or the slip cordon shortly after he starts giving more flight. Variations that he does through the air is as amazing as ever. A truly good cricketer and a good person by heart, who is humble enough to say that somebody will be there to surpass his feat of 800 test wickets. He has been backed by all his captains all through the years, during the bent arm controversy and whenever he was low in confidence. Like adding insult to injury, the bowler also had to face a controversy in 2004 when he started bowling his doosra. It seemed like when he bowled doosra he violated the permitted angle of the arm at the point of release. Again he was sent to the University of Western Australia for that. But after that the bowler has been unstoppable. The breaking of the records of Wasim Akram, achieving the 600 mark, then that of the leg-spinner of Australia, Shane Warne and recently the record of 800 wickets. He has been unbelievable.
Who can chase him?
As a spinner, Harbhajan has got the chance to get close to Murali. Harbhajan lacks the attitude but he has got all the talent and tricks that is needed in the business of spin. Just a little bit of change in attitude and the backing up by some of the senior players will get him going. He has got a good and unique action and knows all the nuances. He needs a strong push from behind as a source of encouragement. But, otherwise I guess spinners have to develop to come to the level of this guy, Murali. He has done so much that it would take years for someone to achieve. As a lot of players in the international arena are on the verge of starting their career it would not be good on my part to tell who would chase it. So far the chances have been high only for Harbhajan as an off spinner. Lot of players are coming up very well. But until they come up, it is going to be Murali for the number of 800. He has left behind a legacy that is indelible. It would be good for people to start thinking of how they can get to that level rather than debating unnecessarily about his action.
Players who managed to play well against Murali:
One of the techniques that batsmen have adopted in the recent times against Murali's bowling is playing the ball as late as possible. Letting the ball come into them until the last moment.The only player who has comfortably played Murali, among the left handers, is Brian Lara. The off spin is a away going delivery for Lara and as he plays it late, it is easy for him. But those batsmen who suffer the most are the right handers. Especially when he bowls to the right handers from around the wicket. He bowls either the away going delivery from the right hander or the one that straightens up after pitching. Batsmen get perplexed whether to show the full face of the bat or to play along the line. But what ever the ball may be the best way to tackle is to play as late as possible.
But most of the time the batsmen had to tell him only this.
The one, every bowler wants is the respect for him from the batsmen and he has won it from all. This guy is not only a cricketer but he has helped so many people by giving education and providing the basic amenities for those victims of the tsunami. He is a wonderful human by heart and true professional.
A true magician or genius or killer, whatever you wanna call him. He is good.
-SATZ
Widening of his eyes as he releasesWhat makes him so special?
Well, to tell it in one word, it is the quality. Quality of bowling. He has got a lot of variations. Especially, he likes the right hand batsmen of the world playing his delivery. It is good for him to see the batsmen having no clue to his balls. He reads the game well. He is a thinking cricketer. He has got a lot in his bag. The conventional off spinner, the flipper, the arm ball, the away going delivery from the right handers (doosra), the flighted delivery and a lot more. Batsmen have wondered for a while after having bowled through the gate. between bat and pad. The following link contains a video that shows how good he is while doing his business:
Absolute genius. Butcher has got no clue of where the ball came from. So much of turn. It's unbelievable. No wonder he is the owner of 800 wickets. That man deserves it. Even at the recent test at Galle, Dhoni was bowled in a similar manner wherein he had no clue of how the ball turned from way outside the off stump and hit the top of the leg stump. That also raised the question of why is this man retiring when he's still got so much to show the world?You can see much more including the one above, in the following link below:
What else has this guy got?
Temperament and stamina to bowl in whatever condition and whatever situation he is given. He takes it as a challenge. He can bowl for long hours. A number of overs with a great level of concentration. If the batsmen is unyielding to all the above mentioned tricks of Murali, then he seeks his short cover or short mid-off or the slip cordon fielders for his scalps. He flights his delivery and likes when the batsman starts driving through the cover-extra cover region. He knows that the batsmen can't manage the variations in flight for the whole day. It will either land in the hands of short cover or the slip cordon shortly after he starts giving more flight. Variations that he does through the air is as amazing as ever. A truly good cricketer and a good person by heart, who is humble enough to say that somebody will be there to surpass his feat of 800 test wickets. He has been backed by all his captains all through the years, during the bent arm controversy and whenever he was low in confidence. Like adding insult to injury, the bowler also had to face a controversy in 2004 when he started bowling his doosra. It seemed like when he bowled doosra he violated the permitted angle of the arm at the point of release. Again he was sent to the University of Western Australia for that. But after that the bowler has been unstoppable. The breaking of the records of Wasim Akram, achieving the 600 mark, then that of the leg-spinner of Australia, Shane Warne and recently the record of 800 wickets. He has been unbelievable.
Who can chase him?
As a spinner, Harbhajan has got the chance to get close to Murali. Harbhajan lacks the attitude but he has got all the talent and tricks that is needed in the business of spin. Just a little bit of change in attitude and the backing up by some of the senior players will get him going. He has got a good and unique action and knows all the nuances. He needs a strong push from behind as a source of encouragement. But, otherwise I guess spinners have to develop to come to the level of this guy, Murali. He has done so much that it would take years for someone to achieve. As a lot of players in the international arena are on the verge of starting their career it would not be good on my part to tell who would chase it. So far the chances have been high only for Harbhajan as an off spinner. Lot of players are coming up very well. But until they come up, it is going to be Murali for the number of 800. He has left behind a legacy that is indelible. It would be good for people to start thinking of how they can get to that level rather than debating unnecessarily about his action.
Players who managed to play well against Murali:
One of the techniques that batsmen have adopted in the recent times against Murali's bowling is playing the ball as late as possible. Letting the ball come into them until the last moment.The only player who has comfortably played Murali, among the left handers, is Brian Lara. The off spin is a away going delivery for Lara and as he plays it late, it is easy for him. But those batsmen who suffer the most are the right handers. Especially when he bowls to the right handers from around the wicket. He bowls either the away going delivery from the right hander or the one that straightens up after pitching. Batsmen get perplexed whether to show the full face of the bat or to play along the line. But what ever the ball may be the best way to tackle is to play as late as possible.
But most of the time the batsmen had to tell him only this.
The one, every bowler wants is the respect for him from the batsmen and he has won it from all. This guy is not only a cricketer but he has helped so many people by giving education and providing the basic amenities for those victims of the tsunami. He is a wonderful human by heart and true professional.
A true magician or genius or killer, whatever you wanna call him. He is good.
-SATZ
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