The off-spinning legend reached an astonishing 800 wickets while playing a crucial role in Sri Lanka's emphatic 10-wicket victory over India on the final day of the first Test.
Needing two wickets for the landmark at the beginning of the day, Muralitharan dismissed Harbhajan Singh and, after an agonising wait, prised out last man Pragyan Ojha in front of his family, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a jubilant crowd.
Muralitharan was chaired around the ground by his emotional team-mates.
Fireworks lit the sky and a band played in honour of the great Sri Lankan hero.
The 38-year-old Muralitharan began his Test career against Australia in Colombo in 1992. The man with dexterous wrists, supple fingers and enormous strength of mind is the highest wicket-taker in Tests with 800 scalps in 133 matches at an average of 22.72 with an incredible 67 five-wicket hauls.
The bowler with flight, dip and vicious turn is also the foremost wicket-taker in the ODIs, with 515 victims in 337 matches at 23.07.
“Reaching the 800-wicket mark was not running in my mind. I wanted Sri Lanka to win the match,” said team-man Muralitharan.
He began the Test requiring eight more for the magic 800-wicket mark. Muralitharan claimed five for 63 in the first innings to put Sri Lanka on the path to victory. The wizard took three wickets for 128 runs in the second.
Man of the Match Lasith Malinga fired out five batsmen in the second innings, as India was dismissed for 338. Set a target of 95, the host cantered home without any loss of wicket.
