As he walked away from the field, having just taken his 800th wicket in Test Cricket, I wondered to myself if we had just seen the last airbender of cricket.
With 800 wickets in a 133 Test Matches, 67 five wicket hauls in an innings, 22 ten wicket match hauls, Murali has probably established the Bradman equivalent of bowling.
There are some cricketers who have an aura around them based on their supreme talent and there are others who have performed on an unbelievable plane throughout their career and yet could never attain that aura. Keen observers of the game would say Gundappa Vishwanath was a remarkable player but it was Sunny Gavaskar who cornered all the glory. Rahul Dravid is arguably India’s greatest Test batsman but is unfortunate enough to be born in the same era as a certain Sachin Tendulkar. Muthiah Muralidaran was a man whose performance and consistency may never be matched in the times to come but it is Shane Warne who has imposed himself upon the public. I am not for a moment trying to say that the Tendulkars, Gavaskars and the Shane Warnes of this world do not deserve their due. On the contrary, so do the Vishwanaths, Dravids and the Muralis.
As a cricketer, Murali is the living dream of every budding cricketer. A childlike enthusiasm, never say die attitude, an infectious smile, supreme fitness and mastery of his class, he was the perfect melting pot of cricketing virtues.
At the time that he was called for chucking, he was a novice attempting to break into the world of stardom. I still remember that series when Arjuna Ranatunga walked away from the field after a heated argument with Darrel Hair. It was to be the precipice that turned a budding youngster into an extraordinary cricketer. Muthiah Muralidaran decided to enhance his skills and prove the world wrong. Those hours at the nets under the watchful eyes of Dav Whatmore and the calm strategizing mind of Arjuna launched Murali on a trajectory of his own. It was soon clear that Murali was going to achieve many peaks.
And then he was called for chucking again and by the same umpire. It was time to change the game. Murali’s bio-mechanical tests in England opened a new chapter in the rules of the game. By that time it was clear that Murali would go on to hold the record for most wickets in both forms of the game.
What makes him stand out for me is his respect for the game. If you see him train, you’d realize that even at this stage of his career, he feels the game is bigger than everyone and he knows there’s always something more to learn. That is a trait so typical of all those who have achieved unparalleled glory in the game. He is still one of the fittest members of the team and can probably shame some of the youngsters with his athleticism. He has never indulged in sledging; never been in a brawl; never lost his head. This rigorous discipline combined with his undying passion to compete has left his fingers bruised and sore many times. But that has never deterred him from another over. Anil Kumble was known for his relentlessness. Murali for me is the greatest workhorse that has ever been. And no one has seen him complain, fake an injury or hide an injury. I might still consider Shane Warne as the greatest spinner of his generation but Murali is probably the most outstanding contributor to a team.
Another great facet is his ability to innovate. Saqlain Mushtaq was once the best proponent of the Doosra. But once Murali learned the art, he took it a step further. A handful of players can pick the doosra even now.
I remember my high school physics talked about a certain Norman effect on a ball that spins. I probably think it should now be renamed as the Murali effect. Not merely on the cricket field, his humanitarian work in the wake of the Tsunami made him a national icon in a country caught up in ethnic strife for generations. It was fitting that he bade farewell at Galle- a stadium that had been devastated by the Tsunami and a place where Murali had helped build houses for the affected. I believe it is poetic justice that a person of Tamil orgin would be SriLanka’s greatest cricketer, for every time a community is on the threat of vanishing, it produces something that will outlast time.
And the last test was also momentous and symbolic. Murali had never been able to dominate the Indians consistently. Sachin had always mastered the wizard. And yet just as a farewell, Murali’s five wickets in the first innings orchestrated an Indian collapse and he got Sachin out as well. I was happy that a great man’s finale was a fairytale script. Those glorious endings do not come easily at all. But if ever there was someone who deserved it, it was Murali.
It is generally a pleasure to recount the best moments. But with Murali, it is a pleasure to watch him bowl. He is just different and I loved that always. The ball spinning from his right hand to his left hand as he started his run up, and then as he neared the umpire, those famous elbows of his taking control of the ball and the spinning fingers imparting revolutions on the ball, the ball lands and spins 90 degrees on a flat first day pitch in England with overcast conditions, those big eyeballs pleading with the umpire and the buck-toothed grin spreading from ear to ear that you’d think it’s a school boy running around- nobody can do it again.
In times where careers do not last for more than half a decade, Murali’s records will stand. Salute to a man whose spirit was that of the game itself. Goodbye Murali, we will miss you!
