NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka cricket legend
Muttiah Muralitharan has revealed that little master
Sachin Tendulkar had a slight weakness against off-spin bowling.
Member of the
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
, Muralitharan is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport and is the only bowler to take 800 Test wickets and 530+ ODI wickets. He is also the highest wicket-taker in both Test and ODI formats and averages over six wickets per Test match.
Notably, Muralitharan had dismissed Tendulkar a total of 13 times in his career, only Australia's
Brett Lee got the better of the Indian great on 14 occasions.
"For Sachin, there was no fear to bowl because he won't hurt you. Unlike
Sehwag
who can hurt you. Because he (Sachin Tendulkar) will protect his wicket, he is a good reader of the ball and he knows the technique," Muttiah told ESPNCricinfo.
"I felt in my career, Sachin had a small weakness against off-spin. With leg-spin he smashes but off-spin somehow he had the difficulty because I got him out so many times. And lots of off-spinners also got him so many times, I have seen it," he pointed.
"I don't know, I never spoke to him regarding this, that's why you aren't comfortable with off-spin.' I felt in my mind he had a little bit of weakness that's why I got a little bit of advantage compared to other players. Sachin is a difficult player, it's very hard to get him out."