Post by Paddy on Jul 22, 2010 12:15:54 GMT 1
Muttiah Muralitharan became the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets on the final day of his Test career in Galle.
The Sri Lanka off-spinner, 38, who made his Test debut in 1992, began his final match against India on 792 wickets.
He ousted record Test run-scorer Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday and went on to take 5-63 as India had to follow on.
Team-mate Lasith Malinga took 5-50 but with the last pair together, Murali had last man Pragyan Ojha caught by Mahela Jayawardene at slip to reach his 800.
It left Sri Lanka needing to score 95 to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the series, which their openers did with little fuss, but Muralitharan's achievement - reached in his 133rd Test - will overshadow the game.
TOP TEST WICKET-TAKERS
800* Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
708 Shane Warne (Aus)
619 Anil Kumble (Ind)
563 Glenn McGrath (Aus)
519 Courtney Walsh (WI)
434 Kapil Dev (India)
431 Sir Richard Hadlee (NZ)
421 Shaun Pollock (SA)
414 Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
405 Curtly Ambrose (WI)
*includes 5 for ICC World XI
Needing three wickets in the second innings to reach the magic 800 mark, he removed Yuvraj Singh with the last ball of the fourth day, and trapped fellow off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lbw early on day five.
With paceman Malinga liable to blast the Indian tail away at any time, Murali had to wait for his moment - having lbw and stumping appeals turned down, while seeing VVS Laxman, India's last recognised batsman, run out off his bowling.
Last pair Ojha and Ishant Sharma resisted for 15 overs, but the safe hands of Jayawardene, one of the most reliable slip fielders of the modern era, fell to his left and pouched his 157th Test catch to begin the Sri Lankan celebrations.
Earlier in July, the BBC Sinhala Service revealed Muralitharan's retirement plans - and he later confirmed that this Test in Galle, the first of a three-game series, would be his last.
606: DEBATE
Muttiah Muralitharan is cricket's equivalent to Marmite
BBC Sport's Pranav Soneji
He is expected to continue to play limited-overs internationals, including next spring's World Cup which will be staged in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.
Born in Kandy, Muralitharan has also taken 515 wickets in 337 one-day internationals, and a further 13 in Twenty20 internationals.
His unique bent-arm bowling action, caused by a deformity from birth, has meant that he has courted controversy at times during his career.
MURALI'S 800 TEST WICKETS
112 v England (in 16 Tests)
105 v India (in 22)
104 v South Africa (in 15)
89 v Bangladesh (in 11)
87 v Zimbabwe (in 14)
82 v New Zealand (in 14)
82 v West Indies (in 12)
80 v Pakistan (in 16)
59 v Australia (in 13)
Some umpires and former players have questioned his action's legality - notably in Australia, where umpires Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson no-balled him for throwing, and former prime minister John Howard once called him a "chucker", although he later apologised.
The mechanics of his bowling action have been investigated by the International Cricket Council, who cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Away from the international game, he has had spells with English counties Kent and Lancashire, and also starred for Chennai Super Kings in the lucrative Indian Premier League - taking 1-17 from his four overs as Chennai won this year's IPL final.
Speaking before the Test, he explained that his decision to quit five-day cricket was because of the wear and tear on his body.
"I've played for 19 years, I'm getting tired and getting old," he told the BBC.
"There are a lot of good spinners waiting for their chance, and hopefully they can become like me one day."
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/sri_lanka/8841333.stm
Well done to him
The Sri Lanka off-spinner, 38, who made his Test debut in 1992, began his final match against India on 792 wickets.
He ousted record Test run-scorer Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday and went on to take 5-63 as India had to follow on.
Team-mate Lasith Malinga took 5-50 but with the last pair together, Murali had last man Pragyan Ojha caught by Mahela Jayawardene at slip to reach his 800.
It left Sri Lanka needing to score 95 to win the match and take a 1-0 lead in the series, which their openers did with little fuss, but Muralitharan's achievement - reached in his 133rd Test - will overshadow the game.
TOP TEST WICKET-TAKERS
800* Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
708 Shane Warne (Aus)
619 Anil Kumble (Ind)
563 Glenn McGrath (Aus)
519 Courtney Walsh (WI)
434 Kapil Dev (India)
431 Sir Richard Hadlee (NZ)
421 Shaun Pollock (SA)
414 Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
405 Curtly Ambrose (WI)
*includes 5 for ICC World XI
Needing three wickets in the second innings to reach the magic 800 mark, he removed Yuvraj Singh with the last ball of the fourth day, and trapped fellow off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lbw early on day five.
With paceman Malinga liable to blast the Indian tail away at any time, Murali had to wait for his moment - having lbw and stumping appeals turned down, while seeing VVS Laxman, India's last recognised batsman, run out off his bowling.
Last pair Ojha and Ishant Sharma resisted for 15 overs, but the safe hands of Jayawardene, one of the most reliable slip fielders of the modern era, fell to his left and pouched his 157th Test catch to begin the Sri Lankan celebrations.
Earlier in July, the BBC Sinhala Service revealed Muralitharan's retirement plans - and he later confirmed that this Test in Galle, the first of a three-game series, would be his last.
606: DEBATE
Muttiah Muralitharan is cricket's equivalent to Marmite
BBC Sport's Pranav Soneji
He is expected to continue to play limited-overs internationals, including next spring's World Cup which will be staged in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.
Born in Kandy, Muralitharan has also taken 515 wickets in 337 one-day internationals, and a further 13 in Twenty20 internationals.
His unique bent-arm bowling action, caused by a deformity from birth, has meant that he has courted controversy at times during his career.
MURALI'S 800 TEST WICKETS
112 v England (in 16 Tests)
105 v India (in 22)
104 v South Africa (in 15)
89 v Bangladesh (in 11)
87 v Zimbabwe (in 14)
82 v New Zealand (in 14)
82 v West Indies (in 12)
80 v Pakistan (in 16)
59 v Australia (in 13)
Some umpires and former players have questioned his action's legality - notably in Australia, where umpires Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson no-balled him for throwing, and former prime minister John Howard once called him a "chucker", although he later apologised.
The mechanics of his bowling action have been investigated by the International Cricket Council, who cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Away from the international game, he has had spells with English counties Kent and Lancashire, and also starred for Chennai Super Kings in the lucrative Indian Premier League - taking 1-17 from his four overs as Chennai won this year's IPL final.
Speaking before the Test, he explained that his decision to quit five-day cricket was because of the wear and tear on his body.
"I've played for 19 years, I'm getting tired and getting old," he told the BBC.
"There are a lot of good spinners waiting for their chance, and hopefully they can become like me one day."
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/sri_lanka/8841333.stm
Well done to him
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? He may be the best leg spinner but greatest cricketer, no way !!! He might just get top 10 !!!