Muralitharan always made me feel like a 10-year-old: Adam Gilchrist

The 44-year-old former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist admitted he was amused every time he took to the crease against legendary Sri Lankan offie, Muttiah Muralitharan, while he was also nervous batting against Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Muralitharan dismissed Gilchrist four times in six Test matches, while Harbhajan Singh got Gilly out seven times in the longer format of the game.

“It would be a combination of Murali and Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh),” Gilchrist said when asked which bowlers he disliked facing the most.

Gilly went on to explain his troubles against the spin wizard, Muralitharan, “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. 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.”

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Gilchrist also shared a story of his team-mate Michael Hussey, who, according to him, was equally uncomfortable facing Muralitharan.

“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.”

During the lunch time, Gilchrist overheard a conversation between Murali and Australian team physio Alex Kontouris, who previously worked with the Sri Lanka cricketers, “As I was going past the duo, I heard Murali tell Alex that he had no clue where to bowl against Mike,” revealed Gilchrist to a roar of laughter.

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