PREVIEW - Muralitharan aims to add spin to India farewell

By N.Ananthanarayanan

KANPUR, India (Reuters) - Muttiah Muralitharan will be hoping the bowlers get more favourable conditions when Sri Lanka face India in the second test from Tuesday after a flat pitch consigned the first to a high-scoring draw.

The 37-year-old Sri Lanka spinner, 14 short of extending his world record test wicket haul to 800, claimed just three wickets in 63.5 overs in the first test in Ahmedabad.

Muralitharan will also be looking to improve his modest record in India in his final away test series, having announced in July his plan to retire from tests next year. Sri Lanka, currently second behind South Africa, are seeking their first-ever test win in India with the series winner also assured of the top spot in world test rankings.

While Muralitharan, the team's bowling linchpin, has a career average of 22.41, his 34 wickets in nine tests in India have come at 42.58 runs apiece.

Seven batsmen hit centuries in Ahmedabad where Muralitharan surprised all by struggling to produce his trademark sharp turn.

"The flatness of the pitch completely neutralised the spinners' efforts in the game," former India skipper Saurav Ganguly wrote on the website www.cricinfo.com.

"Looking at the way Muralitharan bowled on day five and the amount of turn he got from the pitch, I would not be wrong in saying one more test match could probably (have been) played on this wicket."