Magic Murali Makes 800

Muttiah Muralitharan has become the first man in Test match history to take 800 career wickets.

The man that they call Murali took India’s final wicket in the second innings to make it eight wickets in the match and 800 in his career, leaving Sri Lanka needing just 95 runs for victory.

Murali had announced prior to the match that he would be retiring from Test match cricket following this Test match against India in Galle. At the time of the announcement he had 792 wickets. He took five wickets in India’s first innings and the visitors were forced to follow on, leaving Murali needing three wickets to do what no man had done before.

He then took the wicket of Yuvraj Singh to move onto 798 and Harbhajan Singh to move within one of the incredible feat. Yet Lasith Malinga threatened to ruin the party taking five wickets including that of MS Dhoni and Abhimanyu Mithun late on, leaving Murali marooned on 799 with just one Indian wicket remaining.

But the script was already written in the stars; Murali in his 45th over of the innings – Sri Lanka’s other five bowlers bowled 71 overs combined –tossed one up to Pragyan Ojha, four men waited around the bat in catching positions, Ojha edged it, and Mahela Jayawardene fell to his left and took the catch at first slip.

Murali was then carried off the ground with ball in hand saluting the crowd. A god amongst men.

Written By:- Mandy (About our Authors)
Posted on:- 22/07/2010 - 09:56 AM
Filed in:- Cricket Betting News