World records and achievements
Muttiah Muralitharan holds a number of world records, and several firsts:
The most Test wickets (792 wickets as of 02 December 2009).[89]
The most One-Day International wickets (512 wickets as of 25 September 2009).[89]
The highest number of international wickets in Tests and ODIs combined (1304 wickets as of 02 December 2009).[89]
The most 5-wicket hauls in an innings at Test level (66).[62]
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.[90]
Fastest to 350,[91] 400,[92] 450,[93] 500,[94] 550,[95] 600,[96] 650[97] and 700[98] 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.[99]
Only player to take 50 or more wickets against every Test playing nation.[100]
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).[101]
Most Test wickets taken bowled (157),[102] stumped (41)[103] and caught & bowled (31).[104] Bowled by Muralitharan (b Muralitharan) is the most common dismissal in Test cricket (excluding run out).[105]
Most successful bowler/fielder (non-wicket keeper) combination – c. Mahela Jayawardene b. Muttiah Muralitharan (67).[106]
Most Man of the Series awards in Test cricket (11).[107]
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.[108]
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.[109]
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.[110]
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