The former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist admitted that he was always found it tough every time he faced the legendary Sri Lankan off break bowler Muthiah Muralitharan and India’s Harbhajan Singh.
Murali dismissed Gilly 4 times in 6 tests while Harbhajan dismissed the champion wicket keeper batsman 7 times in his Test career.
When asked whom he disliked facing the most, Gilly said, “It would be a combination of Murali and Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh)”.
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“I could never read the delivery from Murali’s finger movements. He always made me feel like a 10-year-old. Whenever I was in doubt, I promptly swept.” Gilchrist said.
“There was this Test innings where I had gone out with this mindset to sweep. First ball, I swept and the ball went for four. Second ball, I swept again. This time, it went straight up in the sky and I was caught.
“Next match, again I swept Murali the first ball and was caught plumb in front of the stumps.”
Gilly wasn’t the only member of the team who dreaded going into battle with Murali, as Michael Hussey also had his share of difficulties when facing the legend.
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“We were always a bad influence for each other in the dressing room,” Gilchrist said. “If Mike had to go out and face Murali, I would pull his leg and make him nervous. He would get back to me when my chance came.
“On one such occasion, Mike went out to bat. The first ball, he tried to play a defensive shot, the ball zipped past him. The second ball, Mike was apprehensive again. This time, the ball missed the stumps by an even shorter gap.
“He was completely clueless but somehow survived till lunch.” Gilchrist added.
Gilly’s revelation comes despite the fact he averaged over 52 in nine Test innings against Murali and was only dismissed twice by the veteran spinner in his ODI career.
Gilly’s troubles against Harbhajan began in the famous 2001 series when the Indian spinner dismissed him in the first Test in Mumbai, though Gilchrist had already scored a century by then. But in the next four innings, he could manage only 2 runs as the feisty finger spinner dismissed him thrice.
In 10 Tests that he played against Harbhajan, Gilchrist scored at an average of 25, well beyond his final Test career average of 47.6.
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