Murali sets world record

Muttiah Muralitharan became Test cricket's leading wicket taker on the third morning of the first Test against England.

Sri Lankan spinner surpasses Shane Warne as Test cricket's leading wicket taker

Muttiah Muralitharan became Test cricket's leading wicket taker after taking two wickets on the third morning of the first Test against England. Muralitharan, playing in front of his home crowd at Kandy, claimed the 709th wicket of his career by dismissing Paul Collingwood for 45. That took the off-spinner past retired Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne and into sole possession of the record. And he soon added his 710th scalp by having Matthew Hoggard stumped to finish with figures of 6-55 as England were bowled out for 281 just prior to the lunch interval. "It is the right timing," he told Sky Sports. "That's (Collingwood) a special wicket. It was not meant that way because I tried to spin the ball and it didn't spin." Asked for the highlight of his 116-cap Test career, Muralitharan replied: "The highlight was in England when I took 16 wickets at the Oval (in 1998) because it made people think that I was a good bowler and one who could take wickets overseas as well as at home."

Muttiah Muralitharan fact file

1972: Born Kandy, April 17
1991: Selected for Sri Lanka A's tour of England.
1992: Test debut against Australia in Colombo.
1995: No-balled in Melbourne Test against Australia by umpire Darrel Hair for throwing.
1996: No-balled in Brisbane Test against Australia by umpire Ross Emerson for throwing.
1996: Bowling action cleared by ICC.
1998: Takes nine wickets for 65 runs against England at The Oval.
1999: Joins Lancashire and takes 66 wickets in just six County Championship games.
1999: No-balled again for throwing by Emerson in Brisbane Test against Australia action once again cleared by ICC.
2001: Plays for Lancashire again and takes 50 wickets in only seven County Championship matches.
2001: Becomes fastest ever bowler to take 350 Test wickets 66 matches.
2002: Takes nine wickets for 51 in first innings of second Test against Zimbabwe in Kandy.
2004: Becomes third bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets, during second Test against Australia in March. In May, becomes highest wicket-taker in Test history - overtaking Courtney Walsh's 519 victims.
2006: March - Takes 600th Test wicket in second Test against Bangladesh in Bogra a week after becoming first man to reach 1,000 in all international cricket.
2006: June - Takes eight for 70 to help Sri Lanka win by 134 runs to level the npower Test series against England at Trent Bridge.
2007: March/April - Takes 23 wickets at the World Cup, to help Sri Lanka to the final.
July - With the last of his 26 wickets in a three-Test series against Bangladesh, on his home ground at Kandy, becomes the second player - after his great spin rival Shane Warne - to reach 700 Test wickets.
December 3 - Back at Kandy again, Murali bowls Paul Collingwood to go above Warne as Test cricket's leading all-time wicket-taker and then has Matthew Hoggard stumped to move to 710 and counting...