This week Sri Lanka’s legendary spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, bid adieu to test cricket in a blaze of glory. Murali needed 8 wickets at the start of his farewell test to reach the never-before achieved magical figure of 800 test wickets. This would have been a herculean, if not impossible, task for a bowler of lesser stature, especially after one whole day of play was lost due to rain. But not only did the legend reach the landmark in dramatic style by taking his 800th wicket with his final ball in test cricket, he also spearheaded his team to a thumping victory against the # 1 ranked test team, India!
As an Indian supporter, i desperately wanted India to save the match… if not with their own skill, then atleast with some divine intervention from the rain gods. But at the same time, i also hoped that the “Smiling Assassin” would reach the milestone which, in all probability, will stand till eternity.
When Murali finally snapped his 800th victim, the entire cricketing fraternity (team mates, opponents, commentators, scribes, and fans) stood up and applauded in unison… it was almost as if the world wanted Murali to sign off his career on a high note more than he himself wanted to!
So what is it about Murali that evokes such admiration and respect from people across team allegiances? The answer is simple… he’s a GOOD GUY!!! In a day and age when sledging and cursing opposition batsmen is more the norm than an exception for a bowler, one has never seen the most destructive bowler in history indulge in such behaviour. No matter what the circumstances, the beaming smile never left his face. He played the game fair and square. He was a great player no doubt… but he was a greater human being!
While Murali holds the world record for maximum wickets in tests and one-dayers, India’s Sachin Tendulkar is numero uno in terms of runs and centuries scored in both these versions of the game. Is it a mere coincidence that like his Sri Lankan counterpart, Sachin too is one of the most decent gentlemen to have set foot on a cricket field? I certainly don’t think so.
Only proves that good guys don’t have to finish last. They do finish first!
