Mahela Jayawardene reveals who was the better spinner among Shane Warne and Muralitharan

Mahela Jayawardene has revealed difference between Sri Lankan spin legend as well as his former team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan and Australian spin wizard Shane Warne. Both Muralitharan and Warne are all-time successful spinners in history of Test cricket. Murali has 800 scalps to his name and is highest wicket-taker in red-ball cricket whereas, his Australian counterpart has 708 wickets in longest format.

'Two different personalities': Mahela Jayawardene

"Murali was a champion bowler, he went about his game differently to ors. Warne did t have variety that Murali did. Murali knew what he was doing and believed in grinding a batsman down. If he h to wait for ten overs to get a batsman out, he will do that," Jayawardene told Sanjay Manjrekar in a videocast hosted by ESPNCricinfo.

He furr said that Warne and Murali are two different personalities. "Warne is a stey leg-spinner but he probably played much more with tactical hours of you come and attack me, I will get you out, he probably knew that he did t have variety that Murali h," he ded. 

"We are yet to see if modern-day bowlers hit numbers that ir predecessors did. present bowlers are probably up against better batting units. If y even do t hit numbers like ir predecessors, it does t mean y are b bowlers."

Jayawardene said top ten wicket-takers in modern-day cricket, all of m played during first half of his career. "re was Murali, Warne, McGrath, Kumble, Harbhajan, Akram, Waqar, and Saqlain. ir numbers speak for mselves," former Lankan skipper ded.

Warne has been a part of two World Cup finals that Australian team h featured in. One in 1996 (lost to Sri Lanka) and 1999 (beat Pakistan comprehensively). He called it a day on his illustrious cricketing career in January 2007 after Aussies h overcome arch-rivals England in 2006/07 Ashes series at home.

Muralitharan on or hand has featured in three  World Cup finals. He was an integral part of Lanka's 1996 triumphant squ. However, even though his team h me it to back-to-back finals in 2007, and, 2011 editions respectively, island nation could t get over finish line on both occasions. He bid ieu to all forms of cricket after Sri Lanka's World Cup 2011 final loss to co-hosts India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stium on April 2, 2011. 

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(With ANI inputs)