Galle (Sri Lanka), July 22 (IANS) Muttiah Muralitharan, who retired from Test cricket Thursday after claiming his 800th wicket, is the only bowler to capture 75 wickets or more in a calendar year three times.
In fact, he came close to claiming 100 wickets in 2006 when he feel short by 10.
In 2001, he took 80 wickets and a year earlier, he had 75.
In 133 matches, Murali has 800 wickets at an average of 22.72. He has taken 10 wickets in a match an astonishing 22 times and five wickets in an innings 67 times — the most by any bowler.
Highlights
* He has captured 166 wickets at Colombo, SSC, 117 wickets at Kandy and 111 wickets at Galle. No other bowler has captured 100 wickets at one ground.
* He is the only bowler to take 100 wickets against India – 105 at an average of 32.61 in 22 Tests.
* He is the second bowler after Shane Warne to capture 100 Test wickets or more against three countries.
* He is the fastest to reach 400 wickets, (72 Tests), 500 wickets (87 Tests), 600 wickets (101 Tests), 700 wickets (113 Tests).
* His tally of 67 instances of five wickets in an innings is a record.
* His tally of 10 wickets in a Test match 22 times is also a record.
* He has won 11 the Player of the Series awards, the most by any player.
* His tally of 19 Man of the Match awards is also a Sri Lankan record.
* He is the first bowler to take five wickets in an innings against all the other nine Test playing nations.
* He captured nine wickets in an innings twice – 9 for 51 (career best) vs. Zimbabwe at Kandy in 2002 and 9 for 65 against England at The Oval in 1998.
* Twice in his career, he has claimed 10 wickets in a Test match in four Tests in succession – in 2001 & 2006.
* His match figures of 16 for 220 (career-best) are the best for Sri Lanka in Tests.
* He also holds the record for most wickets taken ‘bowled’ – 167.
* He jointly holds the record for most ‘caught and bowled’ dismissals – 35 – with Anil Kumble.
* He holds the record for most wickets taken ‘stumped’ – 47.
