OTD: Muttiah Muralitharan breaks Shane Warne's record for most Test wickets

On this day in 2007, Muttiah Muralitharan surpassed Shane Warne to become the leading wicket-taker in Tests, claiming his 709th wicket against England in Kandy.

On this day in 2007, Sri Lanka's spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan reclaimed the record for the most Test wickets. Playing at his home ground, Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy, Muralitharan dismissed England’s Paul Collingwood to claim his 709th Test wicket, surpassing Australian legend Shane Warne.

File photo of former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan.(AFP Photo)

A historic moment

The milestone came during the first Test of England’s tour of Sri Lanka. On the third day, with Collingwood batting on 45, Muralitharan delivered a deceptive ball that breached the batter’s defense and castled the stumps. The crowd erupted in celebration, witnessing their hometown hero take his place as cricket’s leading wicket-taker.

Murali’s achievement was not just about surpassing Warne but doing so in his 116th match—29 fewer than the Australian leg-spinner.

Warne congratulated Murali after he broke his record for most wickets in Test cricket and had said: "I congratulate Murali for breaking the record I had. Murali has said he wanted to take 1000 Test wickets and he is every chance of getting there. If he does I don’t think anyone else will catch him. Despite what people say he’ll be remembered as one of the game’s great bowlers."

Emotional significance

For Muralitharan, the landmark achieved in front of his home crowd made it even more special. Surrounded by family, friends and hometown supporters, he described the moment as perfectly timed. "It’s my hometown, my parents are here, my wife is here, all the relatives are here and all my school friends," Muralitharan was quoted as saying.

"It’s a bigger moment than if I had taken it in Australia. It’s the right time, I think. It’s not easy to take six wickets in an innings but I managed to let my pressure off now," he also said.

The day was also significant for Sri Lankan cricket. The match marked Sanath Jayasuriya’s final Test appearance and Chaminda Vaas’s 100th Test.

In the first innings, Muralitharan bagged six wickets and three more in the second, finishing with nine in the match. His record-breaking performance helped Sri Lanka beat England by 88 runs.

Murali’s legacy

Muttiah Muralitharan retired in 2010, cementing his legacy with a record 800 Test wickets, a milestone still unmatched. Muralitharan also holds records for the most 10-wicket hauls (22) in Test matches and the highest number of ODI wickets (534).