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Bangladesh faces Murali threat

DHAKA: Ace Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will be keen to maintain his impressive performance against Bangladesh in a two-Test series starting here on Friday.

The off-spinner troubled Bangladesh in previous Tests, grabbing 76 wickets in nine games, including three hauls of 10 or more wickets in a match. He is the world’s leading wicket-taker with 756 scalps in 123 Tests.

Muralitharan’s best performance against Bangladesh came in 2007 when he finished with 12 for 82 in the third and final Test in Kandy to complete his team’s 3-0 series victory.

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful said his team could not afford to focus on Muralitharan alone.

“Sri Lanka’s bowling is formidable. They are good in both departments (pace and spin). He (Muralitharan) has taken more than 70 wickets against us and their pacemen also have taken plenty,” said Ashraful.

The teams (from):

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Dammika Prasad, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara.

Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful (capt.), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Imrul Kayes, Raqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Rajin Saleh, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain, Enamul Haque, Mahbubul Alam, Sajidul Islam. — AFP

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