‘Twenty20 will promote Test cricket’

Wednesday April 16, 01:20 AM

Chennai, April 15: Teams that used spin as an attacking option in Twenty20 cricket have been reasonably successful so far. The success of Harbhajan Singh and Daniel Vettori in the world championship in South Africa underlined this to an extent.

The pressure on the spinner is no less or greater than that on the medium pacers. Having only four overs to bowl might not be the ideal situation for a slow bowler but it is the same for the batsmen who have to get on from ball one for the batsmen, argues Chennai Super Kings’ star spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan.

"Spinners usually take time to settle down. Four overs is not the ideal span for a spinner. But that is a challenge one must look forward to," said Murali. For a bowler who is accustomed to long spells, Murali is happy that T20 cricket it will be easier on the body.

"This is a format where the bowlers are not going to get exhausted. The momentum can be easily maintained. I have played only one T20 at the international level but I have played fair bit for Lancashire and that experience should hold me in good stead," he said.

Murali notes it will be the 50-overs one-day cricket that will suffer due to the frequency of T20 cricket. "Test cricket can get boring at times, but it will survive as performance in Test cricket is dear to all cricketers. T20 is a medium that is aimed at youngsters and built primarily for entertainment. It will actually help Test cricket grow in the longer run as more people will start following the game," explained Murali.

The Chennai wicket that came in for criticism during the recent Test against Sri Lanka is one of the best in India according to Murali. "It is a wicket that has always offered bounce and turn. Just having spinners in the side is not enough. You must have quality spinners to exploit conditions," said Murali on how much the Chennai wicket will favour his craft.

The world Test record holder sees Dhoni as a lucky captain and expects the Chennai Super Kings to deliver under him. "Dhoni has been very successful till now as a captain. His ability to remain calm under pressure has been fascinating and it has actually helped India script a few wins. I hope it will be the same with Super Kings," said Murali.

The Hyderabad Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super Kings have been projected as the two most balanced sides on paper in the IPL. With the right mix of youth and experience they will be tough to beat, said Murali. "All eight teams look good on paper, Chennai have the talent and it will all come down to how quickly we adapt."

For Muralitharan a win for Chennai means a happier home. His wife is from the city and that to Murali is enough motivation to do well here. "I have my roots here. My wife is from this city and she will be rooting for the Chennai team."

My great grandfather was from Madurai and I have a few friends and relatives from here and that gives me more reasons to do well," Murali said.

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