New Delhi [India], July 16 : West Indies legend Brian Lara opened up on comparisons between two all-time great spinners, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and late Australian wizard Shane Warne, saying that the latter "is the best" even though Murali gave him "more pressure".
Lara was speaking on the 'Stick to Cricket' podcast hosted by former England cricketers Phil Tuffnell, David Llyod, Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan.
Speaking during the podcast about whether Warne or Muralitharan was better, Lara said, "Shane Warne is the best. He is the best. And you know, I would walk out to bat against Murali, and I am confused. You know, I got that 688 runs in three matches (during the 2001-02 tour to Sri Lanka and the first half an hour of Murali (bowling), I would be confused."
"I play a sweep shot down to deep backwards square for a single, you know I play a sweep shot again and then all of a sudden, you know, because the other guys did not read him. He is like 'Oh, take out the no bat pad for Lara. Nothing. Nothing. Let's move everybody up'. And all of a sudden, the pressure came off. But Murali gave me more pressure than Shane," Lara continued.
The West Indies icon said that while he would bat against Warne, he would middle the ball well, but Warne had the capability to produce a "magical delivery or a spell".
"That is why I rate him higher, because I think he was mentally stronger. And obviously with his bowling attack and the pitches that he bowled on, which favoured, you know, the (Glenn) McGraths and (Ben) McDermotts, for him to pick up that amount of wickets, very, very special. I think his strength was his mental thing," Lara added.
Muralitharan ended his career as the highest wicket-taker in Tests, with 800 wickets at an average of 22.72, and his best figures were 9/51. His body of work also included 67 five-wicket hauls and 22 ten-wicket hauls. Warne was the second-highest Test wicket-taker, with 708 scalps in 145 matches at an average of 25.41, with 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-fors.
The Sri Lankan great also outdid him across all formats, taking 1,347 international wickets in 495 matches at an average of 22.86, with best figures of 9/51, 77 five-wicket hauls and 22 ten-fors. Warne is the second player to get past 1,000 international wickets, with 1,001 scalps in 339 matches at an average of 25.51, with best figures of 8/71, 38 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-fors. Unlike Murali, Warne did not play any T20I cricket.
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