I will be happy to see 300 Test wickets: Muralitharan Scary eyes bulging out at the time of delivery. More than that, the prodigious spin imparted on the leather has spelled doom for many a batsmens aspirations. He has been compulsive in the manner of watching the like of Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram and ShoaibAktar. And yet, Muttiah Muralitharan does not claim to be the best off-spinner in the world. Debasish Dutta caught up with Sri Lanka's King of spin for an exclusive chat on the game. At the moment, the duel for the crown of the worlds best off spinner is between Saqlain Mustaq and you.. Who do you think is the best? I am not used to that line. Saqlain really is very good bowler. But that does not mean that I have to compare myself with him. My job is to bowl. I only think about that. Critics say, you can turn the ball astonishingly, but don't have so much variation as of Saqlain. Do you agree? It may be a quality to be able to turn the ball. Whether I have variation or not, is something on which I have no comments. My target is to get more wickets. I try my best to do that with all my skill and intelligence. And I think I'm satisfied. Don't you think Tests are losing a battle of interest to the one-dayers? It is true that ODIs are generating more interest now among the common people. It is more glamorous too, with the introduction of light and colour clothing. But for us cricketers, Tests are the real battles between the batsman and the bowler. You have to perform consistently for five days at a stretch. Batsmen know that there is enough time to score runs, so they wait patiently. There you get the real thrill of the game. (MID-DAY)
At the moment, the duel for the crown of the worlds best off spinner is between Saqlain Mustaq and you.. Who do you think is the best?