Muttiah Muralitharan: 800 Wickets and the Greatest Spinner of All Time

Muttiah Muralitharan played his first Test for Sri Lanka in 1992. By the time he retired in 2010, he had taken 800 Test wickets — 92 more than Shane Warne, his nearest rival — and 534 ODI wickets. Across 18 years, he was one of the most difficult bowlers on the planet to bat against on any surface, in any conditions, anywhere in the world.

The Action

Muralitharan's bowling action was the most scrutinised in cricket history. Due to a congenital elbow condition (a cubitus valgus deformity), his arm appeared bent at release in a way that looked like throwing — the illegal action in cricket. ICC biomechanical tests showed that his elbow remained within the legal 15-degree straightening threshold. He was cleared repeatedly. The no-ball calls he received in Australia in 1995 and 1999 were controversial; most of the cricket world accepted the ICC's findings.

Variations

Murali bowled two primary deliveries with completely different revolutions. His off-break (from off to leg for a right-handed batsman) turned prodigiously on any surface. His doosra (meaning 'the other one' in Urdu) went from leg to off — the wrong'un equivalent for an off-spinner. Murali could bowl both with similar grip and action, making him almost impossible to read. He also used the topspinner and the carrom ball (flicked from the finger) in later career.

Sri Lanka's Greatest Cricketer

Murali was the spine of Sri Lanka's most successful Test era. Sri Lanka won Test series against England (home), South Africa, India, and Australia at home with Murali as their primary weapon. On the turning pitches of Colombo and Galle, he was virtually unplayable. He even took 5 wickets in England (at The Oval, 1998) on a pitch that offered minimal assistance — proof that technique, not just conditions, drove his success.

Legacy and 800 Wickets

Muralitharan took his 800th Test wicket on his home ground in his final Test match against India in 2010 — Pragyan Ojha caught by Mahela Jayawardene. The moment was greeted with a standing ovation from both teams and the crowd. He had taken 8 wickets in the match. The symmetry of reaching 800 in his final Test was extraordinary. Sri Lanka won the match and the series.