Always had a hard time picking Muralitharan, says Virender Sehwag

Fear is not generally a feeling you'd associate with Virender Sehwag. The Nawab of Najafgarh was known to strike fear in the hearts of opposition bowlers and was especially known for his disdain against all kinds of spinners. He repeatedly used to charge down the pitch and hit them for sixes down the ground.

However, speaking at the Hindustan Times Palate Fest, Sehwag remarked that the bowler who he did actually fear was a spinner. And it was none other than Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka. Sehwag says that his action and the difficult lengths he bowled made it really difficult for him to pick the off-spinner. 

“It was difficult playing him, both due to his bowling action and his length.” the 38-year-old said.

Murali is the most decorated Test bowler in cricket history and has picked up 800 wickets in 133 tests. Although batsmen over the world have expressed that they have been afraid playing Muralitharan, Sehwag's record against the bowler suggests otherwise. 

He scored two double centuries against Sri Lanka when Murali was a part of the attack, one a fighting knock of 201 (out of a team total of 329) in Galle, and another an attacking 293 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, a knock that was one Sehwag's best innings. He also got a century against Sri Lanka at Kanpur and a half-century in the 2003 World Cup. Murali was a part of those Sri Lankan bowling attacks as well. 

If we look at Sehwag's overall facts against Muralitharan, it will show that even though Murali picked up his wickets thrice, joint highest for Sri Lanka along with Chanaka Velegedara, in the nine matches that the two have played against each other, Sehwag has smashed Muralitharan with an average of over 145! In ODIs too, Murali has picked up Sehwag just thrice in 18 matches, and Chaminda Vaas has a much better bowling record against the Sultan of Multan dismissing him 4 times in 12 matches.