JOHANNESBURG - The greatest spinner at the World Cup has perfected his wrong'un, goaded Australia's batsmen by claiming some cannot pick him and repeated his vow to never return to the country that tormented him last summer with "chucker" taunts.
Sri Lanka's loose-wristed, rubber-armed, extremely affable offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan refused to name the Australian batsmen he believed he has bamboozled.
The two teams meet in the cup's first Super Six match, in Centurion, tomorrow.
But Australian coach John Buchanan admitted there was concern about a slight, but significant, refinement in Muralitharan's wrong'un that meant it no longer travelled at a different pace and trajectory to the rest of his fizzing, dipping, sharply turning balls.
"Australia has got some of the best batsmen in the world," said Muralitharan.
"Sometimes I have success against them, sometimes I don't. Some of their batsmen can pick me, and some of them don't. I'm not going to say who they are."
The Australians have scoured videos of Muralitharan in the past to work him out - and have done all right.
His average against Australia is 23.04, compared with his career average of 22.77.
He goes for 4.1 an over against Australia compared to 3.8 against everyone else.
The Centurion Park pitch is usually receptive to spin and Sri Lanka will cram as many slow bowlers as it can into its side.
They will include Muralitharan, captain Sanath Jayasuriya, veteran Aravinda de Silva and part-timer Russell Arnold.
Australia's batsmen feast on ordinary medium-pace, and Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando are Sri Lanka's only quality quick men.
Muralitharan, the 30-year-old son of a Kandy cookie maker, is an exciting cricketer and an extremely likeable character and his absence from Australia next time Sri Lanka makes a visit will be a terrible loss.
He remains upset by the taunts he receives from Australian crowds about his bowling action.
"I don't hate anybody," he said.
"I have just been to Australia three times and I can't be bothered taking all that again."
He conceded Australia was an awesome side, but said the early exits of South Africa, Pakistan, the West Indies and England proved anything was possible at the World Cup.
Australia's likely side is: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel, Glenn McGrath.
*Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie's Achilles injury could rule him out of the rest of the cup games.
Gillespie had a scan on his right Achilles yesterday as the squad's medical team looked for more detailed assessment of his injury.
He has a nervous 48-hour wait for the assessment to come back.
If the scans show serious damage, Gillespie will probably be sent home and the team would apply to the International Cricket Council to have him replaced.
*Zimbabwe cricket captain Heath Streak says his team will not be outclassed when they begin their Super Six campaign.
Streak's men won their place in the second stage of the tournament when their final group game, against Pakistan in Bulawayo, was abandoned because of rain.
Cricket: Murali turns the screws on Australia
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