February 14, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 15, 1427

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BRISBANE, Feb 13: Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody believes Muttiah Muralitharan will bounce back from the worst 10-over spell in One-day International history in the deciding triangular one-day series final on Tuesday.

The champion spinner endured one of his most miserable days ever, returning 0-99 as Australia powered to its highest one-day international score of 368 for five and a 167-run win in the second tri-final in Sydney on Sunday.

Muralitharan also had to contend with a majority of the Australian crowd taunting him over his much-scrutinised bowling action, with calls of “chucker” and “no ball” every time he approached the bowling crease.

Moody is confident his beleaguered star will strike back in the third and deciding match of the series at the Gabba — only the first time since 1994 that the Australian tri-series has required a third final.

“He’s obviously disappointed,” Moody said on Monday. “He’s a world-class performer and he likes to perform at his best all the time.

“This hasn’t happened that often in his career.

“The opposition got the better of him, but knowing the character and knowing the quality of the person and the bowler, he’ll bounce back.”

The Sri Lankans must turn around a significant momentum shift in the series after centuries from skipper Ricky Ponting (124 off 127 balls) and Man-of-the-Match Andrew Symonds (151 off 127 balls) lifted the Australians to their massive 368 for five on Sunday.

Sri Lanka found it a far too difficult assignment and succumbed to be all out for 201 off just 36 overs.

The heavy defeat came after Sri Lanka’s stunning 22-run win over Ponting’s team in the opening final in Adelaide last Friday.

Muralitharan was shielded from the media on Monday and was unavailable for comment.

But former Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga urged him to stop playing in Australia because of the boorish crowd behaviour.

“If I had been the captain or manager I would have asked Murali to pack his bags and go home and take some rest as there is a limit to everything,” Ranatunga said.

Moody said the tourists were eager to return to the Gabba after they performed strongly there earlier in the competition, when they beat South Africa by 94 runs.

As well as Murali, the Sri Lankans will be looking for a better return from their top four batsmen, who apart from Mahela Jayawardene (50 off 48 balls), failed to give them the platform to chase an unlikely win on Sunday.

Sanath Jayasuriya was out for a duck, Kumar Sangakkara scored 13 and skipper Marvan Atapattu made 24.

Russel Arnold hit out lustily at the death to finish unbeaten on 64 off 62 balls.

MCGRATH DOUBTFUL

Meanwhile, Glenn McGrath is highly unlikely to play for Australia on their one-day tour of South Africa next week but has yet to scrap playing in the following three-Test series, his manager said on Monday.

The world’s leading Test fast bowler has been excused from playing in the triangular one-day series finals against Sri Lanka to be with his wife Jane, who has had further complications from breast cancer.

McGrath, 36 last week, is understood to have told chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns that he would be unavailable for the first part of the South African tour.

McGrath’s manager Warren Craig said there was little chance McGrath will be announced in the one-day touring squad later this week.

“I doubt he would be going,” Craig said on Monday. “He might have changed his mind over the weekend, but I think it is doubtful.”

He said McGrath would not make a decision on the Test segment of the South African tour until he needed to.

McGrath wrote in his newspaper column last week that he did not intend to retire from international cricket.

“Cricket does become a distant consideration at this time, but it’s still a major part of our lives,” he wrote.

“We have been through this before so we know what’s in front of us and what we need to do to win the battle.”

Jane McGrath has started radiotherapy treatment after being re-diagnosed with breast cancer. She has previously undergone surgery in her battle against the disease.—AFP