Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan broke the world record for Test match wickets on Saturday when he captured two wickets on the third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Muralitharan beat the previous mark of 519 set by West Indies' fast bowler Courtney Walsh when he had Mluleki Nkala caught for 24 from the final ball of his eighth over.
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His action was deemed legal when tests showed he bowled with a bent elbow due to a deformity but did not straighten his arm during delivery.
However further questions were raised this year when he was reported by match referee Chris Broad after a home series against Australia. Broad expressed concern that a new delivery from Muralitharan, which spins away from a right-handed batsman, might not be legal.
Muralitharan became the youngest player to reach 400 Test wickets, reaching the mark in Sri Lanka's third Test against Zimbabwe in 2002, his 72nd Test. He was also the quickest player to pass the barrier.
He equalled West Indies's pace bowler Courtney Walsh's previous record of 519 by taking six for 45 in the first innings of the current Test.
List of leading Test wicket takers:
Pos | Bowler | Country | Wkts | Tests | Best |
1. | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 521 | 89 | 9-51 |
2. | Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 519 | 132 | 7-37 |
3. | Shane Warne | Australia | 517 | 110 | 8-71 |
4. | Kapil Dev | India | 434 | 131 | 9-83 |
5. | Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 431 | 86 | 9-52 |
6. | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 430 | 95 | 8-38 |
7. | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 414 | 104 | 7-119 |
8. | Curtley Ambrose | West Indies | 405 | 98 | 8-45 |
9. | Anil Kumble | India | 397 | 84 | 10-74 |
10. | Ian Botham | England | 383 | 102 | 8-34 |