Tony Becca

Based on the state of the game at the end of the third day yesterday, the first Test between England and Sri Lanka in Kandy could, and should, end in a draw.

With two days to go, the scoreboard reads, Sri Lanka 188, England 281, Sri Lanka 167 for two, and with the home team only 74 runs in front, with only two days to go, the odds are that the match will end in a stalemate.

In cricket, however, anything is possible, it could end in victory for one or the other, and chances are it could end in victory for Sri Lanka.

One reason why it could end in victory for Sri Lanka is that England will be batting last. The second reason is that they will be up against Muttiah Muralitharan - the deadly offspinner who, in grabbing six wickets in England's first innings, is now the holder of the world record for the most wickets in the history of Test cricket.

In his 116th Test match, Muralitharan passed Shane Warne's 708 wickets. Remembering that there have been many bowlers with illegal action who were far less effective and who took far less wickets, regardless of what many may say about his action, regardless that I believe his action stretches the law relating to throwing, and regardless that I believe that Warne, a right-arm leg-spinner with a clean action, with almost every type of spin, every skill and every trick in the book, is the greatest spin bowler that ever lived, I have to take my hat off to the gentle, ever-smiling Sri Lankan.

Getting wickets

So too should every one who, regardless of the level, has ever played the game and who knows how difficult it is to get a wicket.

And, it has nothing to do with the fact that Warne's haul took him 145 Test matches and that Muralitharan's took him 115 and one innings - a difference of 29 Test matches and one innings.

Statistically, Muralitharan, despite the cloud over his action, despite the fact that he played so many matches against the weak teams, must be better than Warne. He must be better for the simple reason that, apart from playing less Test matches, his record, in every classification, is better than the Australian maestro's.

Warne, for example, bowled 40,705 deliveries throughout his career in comparison to Muralitharan's 38,288, Warne conceded 17,995 runs to Muralitharan's 15,386, Warne's best bowling in an innings is nine wickets for 51 runs compared to Muralitharan's eight for 71, Warne's best figures in a match is 12 for 128 while Muralitharan's best is 16 for 220.

Warne's average is 25.41 and Muralitharan's is 21.67, Warne's economy rate is 2.65 while Muralitharan's is 2.41, Warne's strike rate is 57.40 while Muralitharan's is 53.90. Warne, in second position behind Muralitharan in both classifications, has taken five wickets in an innings 37 times and 10 in a match 10 times, Muralitharan's record for five in an innings and for 10 in a match stands at an amazing 61 and 20 respectively.

Like him or not

On top of all that, only Jim Laker of England and Anil Kumble of India, with all 10 wickets each, have taken more wickets in an innings than Muralitharan. And, only Brian Lara, with scores of 178 and 40, 74 and 45, 221 and 130 in a three-match series in 2001 in Sri Lanka, 209, 10 and 80 not out in a two-match series in the West in 2003, has dominated the Sri Lankan master. In those matches, at home and abroad, he returned figures of six for 126 off 53.4 overs and five for 44 off 31.3, four for 54 off 23.4 and six for 81 off 35.5, one for 115 off 37 and two for 116 off 36, five for 138 off 50, three for 23 off 11 and one for 48 off 15.4 overs.

Like him or not, whether one agrees that his action is legal or not, the greatness, the magnificent record of Muttiah Muralitharan is underlined when, for example, that record, in terms of his five-fors and his 10-fors, is compared to those of the great West Indies bowlers over the years.

Compasirons against Muralitharan's 61 and 20 while taking 710 wickets in 115 and a half Test matches are as follows: Sonny Ramadhin's record read 10 and one while taking 158 wickets in 43; Alfred Valentine eight and two while taking 139 wickets in 36; Wes Hall nine and one while taking 192 wickets in 48; Lance Gibbs 18 and two while taking his then world record 309 wickets in 79; Andy Roberts 11 and two while taking his 202 wickets in 47; Michael Holding 13 and two while taking his 249 in 60; Malcolm Marshall 22 and four while taking his 376 wickets in 81; Curtley Ambrose 22 and three while taking his 405 wickets in 98, and Courtney Walsh 22 and three while taking his then world record 519 wickets in 132 matches.