Lloyd would not reveal his thinking but it seemed clear that he is not entirely happy with what he terms Muralitharan's ``unorthodox action''. When asked if he considered Muralitharan's action legal or otherwise, Lloyd said: ``I have my own opinions which I will make known to the authorities. That is as far as I am going. I have nothing else to say on that.''

He would only expand to the extent that he has not yet spoken on the matter to the officials in the current Test but that after the game he would be contacting ``the match referee, match officials and ICC''.

Lloyd dismissed suggestions that this was simply sour grapes in the face of Muralitharan's performance in the current Test. ``It isn't being churlish. It is just the way things have to be.''

With nine wickets so far here, Muralitharan has now taken 198 in 42 Tests. There has been much debate about his action and he was called for throwing by Australian umpire Darrell Hair during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne in 1995.

Videos of him bowling were then studied by the ICC, who cleared the player of suspicion, and later an Australian university technical study came up with the opinion that his arm was permanently bent.

At the close of play yesterday, Lloyd said of Muralitharan: ``With the way he bowls and the action he has got, he will always be a handful.''

Asked why the Sri Lankan spinner had outperformed the England slow bowler Ian Salisbury in this game, Lloyd said: ``It is the actions as well. That is part and parcel of the spinner. Our leg-spinner has an orthodox action. Their man has an unorthodox action.'' Lloyd conceded that Muralitharan was ``the key'' to England saving or losing the Test.

``He is the only bowler in this game to have benefited from the surface. He has a different action from most bowlers. Our seam has been absolutely negated on this pitch. Ian Salisbury was spinning it as much as he could.''

Ranjit Fernando, the Sri Lankan manager, revealed that the tourists' decision to put England in after winning the toss was based around Muralitharan.

``Many people were surprised at this but the secret was that we didn't want to be in a situation where England might have to follow on and then Muralitharan be forced twice to bowl around 50 overs in an innings without a break.''

Fernando said that being called for throwing had ``never worried'' Muralitharan in Australia. ``I firmly believe he has a proper action and once he put that issue behind him he simply went from strength to strength.''