a tribute to the wizard of spin

Muttiah Muralitharan holds a number of world records, and several firsts:

• The most Test wickets (800 wickets as of 22 July 2010).^[97]
• The most One-Day International wickets (515 wickets as of 22 July 2010).^[98]
• The highest number of international wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20s combined (1320 wickets as of 22 July 2010).^[98]
• The most 5-wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (67).^[67]
• The most 10-wicket hauls in a match at Test level (22). He is the only player to take 10 wickets/match against every Test playing nation.^[99]
• Fastest to 350,^[100] 400,^[101] 450,^[102] 500,^[103] 550,^[104] 600,^[105] 650,^[106] 700,^[107] 750^[108] and 800 Test wickets, in terms of matches played (indeed the only bowler to exceed 708 wickets).
• Only player to take 10 wickets in a Test in four consecutive matches. He has achieved this feat twice.^[109]
• Only player to take 50 or more wickets against every Test playing nation.^[110]
• Muralitharan and Jim Laker (England), are the only bowlers to have taken 9 wickets in a Test innings twice.
• 7 wickets in an innings against the most countries (5).^[111]
• Most Test wickets taken bowled (157),^[112] stumped (41)^[113] and caught & bowled (31).^[114] Bowled by Muralitharan (b Muralitharan) is the most common dismissal in Test cricket (excluding run out).^[115]
• Most successful bowler/fielder (non-wicket keeper) combination – c. Mahela Jayawardene b. Muttiah Muralitharan (67).^[116]
• Most Man of the Series awards in Test cricket (11).^[117]
• One of only six bowlers who have dismissed all the eleven batsmen in a Test match. Jim Laker, Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, Geoff Dymock, Abdul Qadir and Waqar Younis are the others.^[118]
• Most Test wickets in a single ground. Muralitharan is the only bowler to capture 100-plus Test wickets at three venues, the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy and the Galle International Stadium in Galle.^[119]
• The only bowler to take 75 or more wickets in a calendar year on three occasions, achieving it in 2000, 2001 and 2006.
• Most ducks (dismissals for zero) ever in international cricket (Tests+ODI's+Twenty20): 59 ducks total.^[120]