Muralitharan strikes late to reach magical Test milestone

• SRI Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan made cricket history by becoming the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets yesterday–with his very last ball. Picture: Getty Images

In a venue closer to home and a long time removed from his infamous trouble 15 years ago at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 38-year-old Muralitharan, a chirpy but quietly spoken Sri Lankan, set a mark for test wickets that surely will stand for a considerable time when he removed India tailender Pragyan Ojha in Galle yesterday to reach the milestone.

In 133 Test matches, Muralitharan took 800 wickets, conceding an average of 22 runs per wicket and bowling 55 balls per wicket.

He said he had no regrets quitting the game after his dream send-off. "Frankly, I have done it and that's enough - this was the only thing I was thinking," Muralitharan said. "God gave me everything, not only victory, eight wickets and everything (in the final Test]. I think this is one of the greatest moments of my cricketing career."

There was a carnival atmosphere for Muralitharan's final Test. Large cutouts of the bowler stood on a 17th-century Dutch fort overlooking the ground and verses thanking and praising him for his epic career were displayed around the stadium.

India and Sri Lanka players formed a guard of honour while fireworks were set off after every wicket Muralitharan took. On the last day, he was given a red-carpet welcome to the ground.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was present during the lunch break to present a memento to the bowler, while the Galle District Cricket Association presented him with a gem-studded ivory carving of an elephant.

Muralitharan's family, parents and representatives from his old school were all present and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara called him the greatest bowler to play the game. "For me, leading a side minus Muralitharan is a huge loss," he said. "I don't think anyone is going to take eight-fors or nine-fors for us."

The fairytale finish to Muralitharan's Test career set Sri Lanka on course for a comfortable ten-wicket victory over India, but more importantly inscribed his name on another record that his supporters will cherish for generations but which critics will put an asterisk beside for as long as Test cricket exists.

Australia's Shane Warne, Muralitharan's long-time adversary, is the only other bowler in Test cricket to amass more than 619 wickets. Warne retired with 708, a record Muralitharan surpassed in December 2007. But it is his exceptional ability to turn the ball, which comes from his unorthodox wristy off-spin, and a permanently bent elbow attributed to a birth defect, that has seen him court controversy.

That bent joint has been central to the conjecture over his bowling action, and it came to a head in Melbourne in 1995 when umpire Darrell Hair no-balled him for "chucking" in the Boxing Day Test against Australia. "I didn't expect it at the time and I was disappointed. But a lot of people helped me ... because of that, I came through," Muralitharan reflected.

"Umpires make their judgment with the naked eye. I have no grudge against anybody because it's a game. Life's all about forgetting and forgiving people."

FACTFILE

1972: Born Kandy, April 17

1992: Makes Test debut against Australia

1995: No-balled in Melbourne Test against Australia by umpire Darrell Hair for throwing

1996: No-balled in Brisbane Test by umpire Ross Emerson for throwing

1996: Bowling action cleared by ICC

1998: Takes nine for 65 against England at The Oval

1999: No-balled for throwing by Emerson in Brisbane Test against Australia; cleared by ICC

2001: Becomes fastest ever bowler to take 350 Test wickets - in 66 matches

2004: May - Becomes highest ever Test wicket-taker - overtaking Courtney Walsh's 519 victims

2007: December 3 - Overtakes Shane Warne as Test cricket's leading all-time wicket-taker with 709

2009: February 5 - Takes 503rd ODI wicket, breaking Wasim Akram's record

2010: July 22 - Becomes first bowler to take 800 Test wickets - in his final Test