Sport - Cricket

Hussain warns of Murali magic

BIRMINGHAM June 3. Nasser Hussain has warned England it will need to lift its performance again when confronting Sri Lankan trump card Muttiah Muralitharan on his ``home pitch'' in the third and final Test at Old Trafford.

As England captain Hussain savoured victory by an innings and 111 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday, he was already looking ahead to the potential problems in the deciding match starting in Manchester on June 13.

Off-spinner Muralitharan has enjoyed great success bowling at Old Trafford during two seasons playing for Lancashire in 1999 and 2001. He captured a total of 35 wickets in his four county championship games at the ground.

Though England will be buoyed by the comprehensive win in Birmingham that gave it a 1-0 lead in the series, Hussain sounded a note of caution. ``Out of the three test venues for this series, Old Trafford will be the one Sri Lanka are looking forward to most, and Muralitharan in particular, so we will have to up our game and be at our best to beat them again,'' the England skipper said. ``There is going to be spin involved and reverse swing, but hopefully there will be a bit of pace in the wicket.''

Muralitharan went into the Edgbaston test nursing a left shoulder injury that had prevented him from playing since early April, but he bowled 64 overs and took five for 143 in England's only innings. — Reuters

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

Athletics

• It's Bobby Aloysius' day
  
  Chess
  
• PSCB grounds Airlines; LIC takes lead
• Humpy beats Dragutin
  
  Cricket
  
• Indians wrap up one-day series
• Indian fielding was sharp
• Nehra, Ratra to appear for check-up
• Woolmer ready to help South Africa
• Hussain warns of Murali magic
  
  Football
  
• Rivaldo's late penalty gives Brazil victory
• Inept Saudis give Germans easy game
• Poland banking on made-in-Nigeria weapon
• Vieri leaves Ecuador weary
• Blanco makes it Mexico's day
  
  Hockey
  
• Things are working well for India
  
  Squash
  
• Ramit, Vikram bag titles
  
  Tennis
  
• Deepa hogs the limelight
  
  

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu