No-one has doubted Muttiah Muralitharn’s destiny in this match – least of all, it seems, England’s batsmen

Andrew Miller in Kandy02-Dec-2007

‘I was trying to watch [Muralitharan] from the non-striker’s end, trying topick in my own mind what it was he was bowling before I got downthere’ © AFP
In the 2005 Ashes, word slipped out that England’s organisers hadbooked their open-top bus parade a full week in advance, and the ECBwere rightly accused of hubris. Nobody, however, has bothered to levelthe same charges at the committeemen at the Asgiriya in Kandy. MuttiahMuralitharan’s face is everywhere at the moment – on one billboardhe’s posing with the number 709, on another he’s already beingcongratulated for reclaiming his crown. No-one has doubted his destinyin this match – least of all, it seems, England’s batsmen.England’s cricket on the second day was naïve but not unexpected. Theysquandered a position of undoubted strength, and yet, such was thebug-eyed fervour with which Muralitharan hounded them back to thepavilion, it would be harsh to chastise them too severely for theirfailings. They tried their best, but their best was found wanting, asit surely will be tomorrow as well. England’s tail is as long andbrittle as a deep-frozen anaconda, and Murali must be odds on tocomplete not only his bid for the world record, but his secondeight-wicket haul in consecutive Tests against England.”It’s disappointing because we were in a very good position, butthat’s why Murali is the best in the world,” said Ian Bell. He wasEngland’s most fluent batsman against the seamers, but unsurprisinglyfound Murali a completely different proposition. “It’s important we goout tomorrow and build some partnerships around Colly [PaulCollingwood]. We’ve got a chance to get a decent lead and the guys cancome out and bowl like they did in the first innings.”It all looked so promising after the first hour’s play. Michael Vaughan was entrenched but enduring, absorbing Murali’s wiles while Bell watched and learned from the non-striker’s end. This was the first time Bell had faced him in the longest form of the game, and it wasn’t until he had made 56 from 72 balls that he finally crossedwith his captain and went to take guard.”I was pretty happy to be honest for the skipper to see him off,” saidBell. “I was trying to watch from the non-striker’s end, trying topick in my own mind what it was he was bowling before I got downthere. It gave me a bit more opportunity to give myself the bestchance.” Several hours in the nets with Merlin, the ECB’sspin-replicating machine, had helped Bell to visualise the moment, butnothing could adequately prepare any of the England players for thetrials they were about to face.

Premature but inevitable. Muralitharan’s face is adorned across the ground in anticipation of his breaking Shane Warne’s record © AFP
Bell’s own innings included moments of aggression against Murali – atwo-step down the pitch resulted in a chancy swipe over mid-on forfour, and his eventual dismissal was a shot of similar intent. But asEngland had preached beforehand, gameplans are everything when itcomes to negotiating his menace.”I just wanted to be positive,” said Bell. “I’ve learnt so far in myshort career that I want to play my game and use my feet, and be aspositive as possible against the spinners. From what I’ve learnt fromplaying Warne and those guys, if you just try to survive they aregoing to get you out anyway. I wanted to be positive in defence aswell as attack, watch the ball and trust myself.”Bell and England’s gameplan also included lots of quick singles, butthat was one aspect of their play that simply didn’t materialise.Murali’s 30 overs included just 19 scoring shots, a tribute to hismasterful accuracy but also indicative of a side that seemed trappedin his headlights. “It’s disappointing but that’s why he’s the bestbowler in the world,” said Bell. “His record in Sri Lanka speaks foritself.”England’s prospects for the rest of the match now look as bleak as theweather, which might in fact be their best hope of salvation. “Thepitch has been low from day one, and that’s what it’ll be like for therest of the game,” said Bell, as the prospect loomed of anotheragonising masterclass in the fourth innings. “I think that it’simportant for the bowlers to hit a line and length and be patient,because it’s going to be harder to score as the game goes on.”England’s bowlers answered that brief magnificently in the firstinnings, but Murali doesn’t even need to be posed the question. Heknows what he’ll be producing for the rest of the match. England knowit too, as of course do his expectant hometown fans. Their ardour has beendampened by consecutive days of anticlimax, but Murali and hiscelebrations will not be delayed for much longer in this game.