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Why was Murali a really bad bowler in Australia?

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Never played at the SCG, well he did once if you call that a Test match, which the records do although I wouldn't, and actually lo and behold he did pretty well in that one which just lends support to my theory
 

Top_Cat

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Confluence of factors.

When he first toured here, was obviously green and there's the minor stress of being called for chucking at one of the biggest stadiums in the world. Second time, was for a one-off joke Test in Sydney in which, without destroying the Aussies, he certainly did bowl well and, at times, superbly. Third time he played at Brisbane, generally a spinner's graveyard on day 1 where he was pumped then didn't get to bowl again in the game, then Bellerive which was a road that year and is just generally a **** place to bowl spin/play cricket/live.
 

vcs

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Sometimes it helps a spinner to get a long 4/5 match series to make an impression, regardless of what his final series stats look like. Take for example Yasir Shah in the recent England tour, I'm sure his series averages would have been nothing flash, but he bowled his side to victory in the two games they did win. Obviously the rest of the team has to put the guy in that position as well, which SL rarely did in Australia.
 

Top_Cat

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Youtubers have uploaded a couple of videos of that game with Murali bowling but not that spell and in doing so have missed one of the best short spells Test match bowling ever. Baffling.
 

viriya

International Captain
Yes, but he wasn't playing for SL - that was my point - he has a **** record in Australia without playing on the one Aussie ground that was generally helpful to finger spinners and then he gets a chance there, and lo and behold!
Maybe it was good that he wasn't playing for SL:

1st Test #1846
1st Innings


Phil Jacques 60*
39.4 Muralitharan to Jaques, 1 run, edged and dropped! Was a tough chance at first slip, but went hard and wide of Jayawardene's left hand! Jaques lunged forward to defend, turned the bat in is hands,
and got a thick outside edge

Phil Jacques 90*
59.2 Muralitharan to Jaques, no run, edged and dropped! Jaques is squared up by the extra bounce from the topspinner, poking and getting an edge that flies low and hard to the left of second slip, who lets it go near his boot, after moving to his right initially


2nd Test #1847
1st Innings

Michael Clarke 69*
117.1 Muralitharan to Clarke, no run, dropped, Clarke down the ground and trying to punch it to mid-on, an inside edge goes to short leg, Chamara Silva is initially backing away but realises it's a catch, but can't latch on, tough one but should have been taken
 

viriya

International Captain
Actually, maybe it doesn't make a difference:

48.1 Muttiah Muralitharan to Simon Katich, no run, tossed up, outside the off, a fair bit of turn, Katich comes down the pitch but is beaten comprehensively in the air and off the pitch, Boucher is as clueless as Katich and a straightforward stumping is missed.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Well if you're talking about his First Chance Average in Australia that's a completely different cauldron of piscine creatures .....................................
 

viriya

International Captain
Well if you're talking about his First Chance Average in Australia that's a completely different cauldron of piscine creatures .....................................
Talking about FCA seems to be in fashion these days so thought I might give it a go myself.

:happy:
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
It's a fair point he raises. With the assistance of the first chance average theory Murali might actually appear to have been more than a really bad bowler, Virya is right to consider it I think.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It's a fair point he raises. With the assistance of the first chance average theory Murali might actually appear to have been more than a really bad bowler, Virya is right to consider it I think.

I appreciate that you must have been very bored today, but now you're going too far
 

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