Muttiah - best match figures against India

CRICKET: Champion off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan continued with his devastating form while returning the best match figures against India on the fourth day of the first Test at the SSC ground in Maitland Place yesterday.

Man of the match Muralitharan who captured a matchbag of 11 wickets for 110 runs overcame India’s S. L. V. Raju who had the best match figures earlier with a haul of 11 wickets for 125 runs.

This was of course the second time that Muralitharan had picked up a matchbag of ten wickets against India having performed a similar role at the same venue in August 2001. On that occasion he took 11 wickets for 196 runs from 81 overs.

Muralitharan is also heading for another unique record having won the man of the match award for the 19th occasion and only South Africa’s Jacque Kallis is ahead of him with a total of 20 man of the match awards.

Muralitharan also brought his Test wicket tally to 746 and this was his 31st ten wicket haul while playing in his 121st match. Meanwhile Ajantha Mendis became the first Sri Lankan to take eight wickets on Test debut following another excellent performance on the field.

In addition Sri Lanka notched up their biggest victory against India in terms of an innings while overcoming their previous best of innings and 77 runs which was recorded at the SSC ground in August 2001.

However Sri Lanka’s overall biggest victory in terms of innings was recorded against Zimbabwe when they triumphed by a massive margin of innings and 254 runs in Bulawayo n May 2004.

This was also India’s third heaviest Test defeat. Earlier, West Indies beat India by an innings and 336 runs at Kolkata in 1958, while England thumped them by an innings and 285 runs at Lord’s in 1974. (C.D)