Murali - The Harry Potter of spin

Harry Potter from Hogwarts isn't the only one casting his magic spell these days. Magician Murali from Kandy, who touched the 700 wicket mark in Tests, is spinning his web of destruction on the opposition. Muttiah Muralitharan is still eight away from Shane Warne's record of 708 Test wickets. But he doesn't plan to stop at just that.He wants to take five wickets in an innings in Australia and win a series there.Syed Rasel became Muralitharan's 700th Test victim as the Lankans completed a 3-0 whitewash over Bangladesh in Kandy on Saturday. It was also Murali's 26th wicket in the series.The 35-year-old could overtake Warne in his own backyard when Sri Lanka tour Australia for two Tests in November. The comparision between the two bowlers is still a topic for hot debate in cricketing circles even after Warne's retirement from international cricket. However, as the statistics show, Warne's maximum wickets came against quality test teams. In fact, only 17 of his 708 victims were from minnow teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Murali, on the other hand, has got as many as 163 scalps against the same teams. However, the Lankan bowler is expected to achieve the feat in much less number of games in comparison to Warne. Murali may be ahead of Warne in several other statistical categories but both bowlers have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Warne for his off-field activities and the Lankan spinner for his bowling action. But unlike Warne, Murali had to share a huge burden in the bowling department, bowling more than 57 overs per test. And the Lankan has no plans of decalring his innings as yet. He says he is aiming for 1000 Test wickets - a figure which is quite possible if Murali continues to fox the batsmen the way he does in the coming years.