JOHANNESBURG, March 9: Muttiah Muralitharan is looking forward to bowling at Sachin Tendulkar on Monday after a gap of almost three years.

India and Sri Lanka met during the ICC Champions Trophy in September but the world’s most prolific one-day batsman and Sri Lanka’s leading spinner were kept apart as the final was washed out.

“He is one of the greatest players ever produced in the game,” said Muralitharan on Sunday.

“He knows how I bowl and he won’t be easily foxed,” he said. “But still, you never know. Sometimes he might win, sometimes I will win.”

Muralitharan, with 13 wickets in seven games in South Africa, backed himself against the rest of the India batting, however.

“Indian batsmen have not played me much of late,” he said. “So they may not be very confident.”

Injuries have also played a part in Muralitharan and Tendulkar not meeting since Sri Lanka crushed India by 245 runs in a Sharjah tri-series final on Oct 29, 2000. India were routed that day for their lowest one-day total of 54.

Muralitharan’s best of 7-30 came against India in an earlier game in that event. He had Tendulkar caught that day after a 54-ball 61.—Reuters