KANDY, Jan 5: Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan claimed the fifth-best innings figures in Test history against Zimbabwe on Saturday but rated his bowling return against England three years before as a better display.

Off-spinner Muralitharan, who took nine for 51 in Zimbabwe’s first innings in the second test of three, said his haul of nine for 65 at The Oval in 1998 had given him greater pleasure.

“I would rate my Oval performance against England ahead of this one because England were a much stronger team and I didn’t have the support of my home crowd,” he told reporters.

“I am a little bit disappointed I didn’t get the (10-wicket) record, but I am quite pleased with my performance.

“On another day, luck would have gone my way and I would have got my 10th wicket. But that’s part of the game.”

There had been some doubt as to whether Muralitharan would bowl on the second morning, as he had dislocated his right ring finger while trying to take a diving catch on the deep mid-wicket boundary off the last ball of the previous day’s play.

“I was in a little bit of pain when I bowled this morning. But, with no pain, there is no gain,” he said.

“Whatever catches that come your way, you have to take them. At that time, I didn’t think about the 10th wicket when I went for the catch (which dislocated the finger).

“The guys are always catching mine while I am bowling and I had to do the same.”—Reuters