Muttiah Muralitharan claimed the wicket of Pragyan Ojha on Day 5 of the first Test against India on Thursday to breach the 800 wickets mark and sign off as the highest Test wicket-taker of all time. It is highly unlikely that anyone in contemporary cricket, or in the near future, will even get near that feat.
The Kandy-born off-spinner went into the Test needing eight more wickets to touch the 800 mark, and achieved it, bagging five wickets for 63 runs in the first innings as India were dismissed for 276.
He then claimed 3 for 128 in the second, as India, following-on, put up 338.
His 800 Test wickets came from 133 matches, at an average of 22.74.
With the wicket of Yuvraj Singh in the first innings, he swelled his haul to 100
wickets against India, and became the first bowler in Test history to accomplish the feat. Having taken 112 and 104 wickets against England and South Africa respectively, he equalled Australia spin legend Shane Warne's record of aggregating 100 wickets against three particular countries.
What a way to sign off!
- Join us in congratulating the 38-year-old spin legend.