MUMBAI: Rahul Dravid features in Muttiah Muralitharan's list of great batters who could not find a way to read him.
Speaking at an event here on Tuesday, Muralitharan said while several Indian batters including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir read his bowling, current India head coach Dravid did not.
"He (Sachin Tendulkar) read me very well. Not many people can do (that). (Brian) Lara had success but he never hit me also, Muralitharan said during the trailer launch trailer of his biopic titled 800'. I know a few people, like Rahul Dravid, he is one of the greatest players but he never read me. Sachin and (Virender Sehwag) and (Gautam) Gambhir would read. Even in my team some people read and some did not," he said.
The legendary Tendulkar, who was present on the occasion, recalled his first meeting with the spin wizard.
"I remember meeting him for the first time in 1992-93, and we have continued to be good friends. He just loved bowling and the whole world knew he had a big turner. You make him bowl on an expressway and he would turn the ball. No matter how the surface is. He had developed the doosra' but spent a lot of time practicing it in the nets. For 18 months he continued practicing the doosra' in the nets before he bowled the first ball in international cricket. The reason for that was he should not lose his original strengths and the qualities that he possessed," Tendulkar said.
Muralitharan returned the compliment.
"What he (Sachin) has done in cricket, nobody can do. It is a fact. It is impossible for someone to get into First-Class cricket at 15 years, getting a Test hundred at 16-17 years (of age). Another Sachin Tendulkar won't be born in my life (time)," he added.