Muttiah Muralitharan names Indian batsman he feared the most

New Delhi : Spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan has revealed the name of an Indian batsman who he feared the most during his bowling days and interestingly he is not Sachin Tendulkar. He said, he feared more damage from Virender Sehwag. 

“For Sachin, there was no fear to bowl because he won’t hurt you. Unlike Sehwag who can hurt you. Because he (Sachin) will protect his wicket, he is a good reader of the ball and he knows the technique,” Muralitharan said during a chat with Aakash Chopra on ESPNcricinfo.

Muralitharan, the only bowler to have taken 800 Test wickets, added, “I felt in my career, Sachin had a small weakness against off-spin. With leg-spin he smashes but off-spin somehow he had the difficulty because I got him out so many times. And lots of off-spinners also got him so many times, I have seen it.

“I don’t know, I never spoke to him regarding this, that why ‘you aren’t comfortable with off-spin.’ I felt in my mind he had a little bit of weakness that’s why I got a little bit of advantage compared to other players. Sachin is a difficult player, it’s very hard to get him out.”

Interestingly, Muralitharan has managed to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar only 13 times in his career.

“Sehwag is so dangerous, for him we put deep fielders because I know he would go for his chance. He would go for his instincts and he knows ‘On my day I will attack anyone I want’. So what we will do is go for the defensive field and wait for him to make mistake,” Muralitharan said.