Spin king Muttiah Muralitharan became the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets on the final day of his Test career in Galle on Thursday.
The 38-year-old Muralitharan, the leading wicket-taker in tests and one-day internationals, dismissed India's Pragyan Ojha to reach the milestone on the fifth day of the first test against India.
The off-spinner, who made his Test debut in 1992, began his final match against India on 792 wickets.
He accounted for the wicket of 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 game and take a 1-0 lead in the series, but Muralitharan's achievement--reached in his 133rd Test--will overshadow the game.
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.
Murali is expected to continue to play limited-overs internationals, including next year'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 has meant that he has courted controversy at times during his career.
Some umpires and former players, notably in Australia, have questioned his action's legality, and it has 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.
Source: thedailystar.net
