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

• The most Test wickets (746 wickets as of 27 July 2008).

• The highest number of international wickets in Tests and ODIs combined (1187 wickets as of 19 March 2008).

• The most 5-wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (65)

• The most 10-wicket hauls in a match at Test level (21). He is the only player to take 10 wickets/match against every Test playing nation.

• Fastest to 350, 400, 450,500, 550, 600, 650 and 700 ,800 Test wickets, in terms of matches played.

• Only player to take 10 wickets in a Test in four consecutive matches. He has achieved this feat twice.

• Only player to take 50 or more wickets against every Test playing nation.

• 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)

• Most Test wickets taken bowled (157), stumped (41) and caught & bowled (31) Bowled by Muralitharan (b Muralitharan) is the most common dismissal in Test cricket (excluding run out)

• Most successful bowler/fielder (non-wicket keeper) combination - c. Mahela Jayawardene b. Muttiah Muralitharan (67)

• Most Man of the Series awards in Test cricket (11)

• 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

• Most test wickets in a single ground. Muralitharan is the only bowler to capture 100-plus Test wickets at two venues, the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo and the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy.

• The only bowler to take 75 or more wickets in a calendar year on three occasions, achieving it in 2000, 2001 and 2006.