Colombo Test, Day 1, Close
Wednesday, August 29, 2001

If there were any whispers in the corridors of international cricket that Muttiah Muralitharan was only a great bowler on turning tracks, they were laid to rest today. Eight wickets on the first day of a Test match constitutes an outstanding performance.

The pitch didn't really offer him much assistance though the ball was gripping and there was good bounce. Murali made the most of what was on offer. Once again, his flight and keen sense of deception were his biggest allies, though the Indians helped with some undisciplined batting.

This first innings debacle should serve as a warning to India. If the pitch deteriorates rapidly, he will be a real handful in the second innings. Each time he picked up a wicket today, there was no real surprise or excitement on his face. It was almost as if each and every dismissal had been carefully plotted. It made for a fascinating spectacle.

Murali's hunger for wickets puts him on a different plane to most. You get the feeling at times that anything less than ten wickets doesn't really satisfy him.

The Indians did themselves no favours today by opting not to play him off the back foot. Rahul Dravid has shown that it's possible to play him from within the crease, more so because he gets appreciable bounce. They should look to be more versatile in their footwork in the second innings. Today though, it was all Murali, his sublime skills pulling Sri Lanka right back into the match after the Indians had got off to a great start.

Sanjay Manjrekar, a regular in the Indian batting line-up of the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to Dileep Premachandran.

More Sanjay Manjrekar
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Advantage surrendered - Tea

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