Aussies should go after Murali - Shane Warne

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EXPECT Australia to play aggressively against Muthiah Muralidaran this summer. More... Aussies should go after Murali By Shane Warne Test cricket's leading wicket-taker November 01, 2007 EXPECT Australia to play aggressively against Muthiah Muralidaran this summer. As a general rule for batsmen, the better the bowler, the more aggressive you have to be. If you just try to survive, eventually one delivery will have your name on it and in Murali's case he will bowl lots of deliveries with your name on it. You need to make a statement and get after him before he gets you. The first 10 deliveries are crucial. Murali tries all his tricks early with the whirly, twirly, funny action: the doosra, fast and straight, then the big turning off-break with all the contortions of that rubbery wrist. It's a sight that would make even David Copperfield ask: "How do you do that?" You must get forward, and play him off the front foot, go back at your own peril. He gets too much dip and fizz off the pitch to play back. Once you get past the initial 10 deliveries, you get to understand his plan on how he is trying to get you out. Then you start to pick which way the deliveries are going and this is where you can impose yourself. If Murali has a weakness it's his patience, and if you get on top of him early, the field will spread and there will be easy singles on offer. Australia has played positively against him before with success. His bowling average (31.41) and economy rate (3.03 runs per over) against Australia are not as strong as his career average (21.33) and economy rate (2.39). The key is to rotate the strike. He can't execute his plan if he is only bowling one or two balls to you at a time. Play on his patience. At this stage it's all about shot selection and execution, using your feet and dictating terms. If your shot is a sweep it's hard to play the conventional sweep. The slog sweep to cow corner is easier because you're using more of a straight bat. My batters to combat Murali are openers Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey, followed by the two right-handers in Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke. They are well equipped with the way they play spin. Ponting is pure class and on a roll. He is the best batsman in the world right now. "Pup" Clarke is probably the best spin player in the Australia side and his quick feet will make this a battle to watch. The No. 5 and No.6 spots should go to Brad Hodge and Andrew Symonds. Hodge plays Murali well and has spent time with him in England. Hodge deserves another chance in the Test side. Symonds can destroy Murali and has done that at times in one-day cricket. I think Murali will reach 709 Test wickets and break my world record this series, but I hope the Australians make him toil hard for it. When Murali breaks the record, there has been a lot of talk that the crowd will hassle him and not show respect. I think this is rubbish. The Aussie crowds are hard, but fair. They will, and should, support the home team, but they will give the opposition credit and applause where it's due. Records are nice to have, but for me it's about the way you play the game and the spirit that you play with. It's not about averages and wickets taken, or how many runs you made. It's about how you did it and how you responded when the team needed you. That's what counts in my book. Some people say Murali has taken lots of wickets against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and that's true, but he has taken lots against all the other countries as well. As I have said, he will go close to getting 1000 Test wickets. So the cricket summer is about to start and for the first time in 20 years I have not been playing for St Kilda or Victoria in preparation for the Test series. Instead it's been poker and some golf. Both have been a bit short on form. I will be watching on the couch with a VB and will be glued to the seat when Murali comes on to see what plan the green-and-gold men have come up with to counter him.

[King]

Some very good tips by Warne. I'm looking forward to the SL v Aus series quite eagerly. Murali vs the Aussie batters is a fantastic proposition.