Most assassins, in literature or on the silver screen, are depicted as serious souls, with inexpressive faces that would put a poker player to shame. This afternoon, Muttiah Muralitharan broke free of such stereotypes - his cheeky grin getting broader each time he struck deeper and deeper blows into the Indian cricket psyche. Over the years, we have become accustomed to the sight of Murali the master offspinner toying with the opposition - his teasing flight and prodigious turn making nervous wrecks of the most accomplished batsmen. We have also seen the crowd reduced to helpless laughter as a result of Murali's antics with the bat. Some of the strokes he has played down the years have defied technique and description, leaving the fielders scratching their heads in bewilderment. Yet, for all the enjoyment he seemed to get from his eccentric performances, he had never registered a Test match fifty. But on his home patch this afternoon, there was no stopping him. Arriving at the crease with India cracking the whip, Murali blazed his way to 26 before tea – two of his heaved sixes over the legside had the crowd on their feet. There was no let-up afterwards, his unorthodox shots made it virtually impossible for Sourav Ganguly to set a field. To further infuriate India, Murali's attitude bordered on the contemptuous. The way he casually sauntered down the track to Ganguly had his fans rolling with mirth and Ganguly dangerously close to blowing a fuse. Pace and spin were treated with utter disdain as Murali swished the bat this way and that. As a last resort Ganguly brought on Harbhajan Singh - Murali took two steps down the pitch and tonked him high over mid-off. By the time he finally holed out for 67, the damage had been done. The target of 264 is an imposing one. And as Murali proved with the wonderfully disguised straight one that castled Shiv Sunder Das, he still isn't finished with this Test match. Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor, Wisden India

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