Cricket: Retiring Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan took centre stage on the final day of the first Test against India by taking his 800th Test wicket to leave his side on the brink of victory in Galle.
The 38-year-old, who needed eight scalps at the start of the match to reach the landmark, achieved the feat with the wickets of Harbhajan Singh before lunch and Pragyan Ojha shortly after the interval as India were all out for 338.
Having enforced the follow-on after restricting their guests to 276 in response to 520 for eight declared, Sri Lanka were left with a victory target of just 95.
Muralitharan, carried off the field on his team-mates' shoulders, spent a considerable amount of time stuck on 799, but his efforts bore fruit in the end as Mahela Jayawardene's catch propelled the off-spinner into the record books yet again.
India endured a torrid morning session and any hopes they harboured of resilient pair VVS Laxman (69) and Ishant Sharma (31 not out) engineering a dramatic draw were soon dashed.
Within five overs of the restart after lunch, an attempted quick single resulted in the former being caught well short of the crease thanks to Angelo Mathews' direct hit.
Sharma and new man Ojha held the fort for a while, steering the lead close to the 100 mark.
However, Ojha eventually fell to Muralitharan's flighted delivery, edging it for a comfortable catch at first slip to mark the end of the India innings and signalling the fireworks in Galle.
Resuming the final day at 181 for five, India were powerless to prevent the Sri Lanka bowlers running through their middle order this morning.
India's hopes of salvaging a draw were given a jolt in only the second over of the day as Lasith Malinga sent in a yorker which shattered skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's middle and leg stumps.
Muralitharan reached number 799 of his Test career as he trapped new man Harbhajan leg before wicket for eight with a peach of a doosra delivery.
With the buzz around the ground growing, it was down to Laxman to prod India past the Sri Lanka total and prevent an embarrassing innings defeat for the visitors.
Malinga, however, seemed keen to prevent Muralitharan from taking all the glory, the fiery paceman snapping up his fifth wicket of the game with yet another lbw by snaring Abhimanyu Mithun to end a promising 49-run partnership.
Just as Virender Sehwag had done in the first innings, Laxman emerged as India's saving grace with his 44th Test half-century from 101 balls.
And despite a barrage of appeals on practically every delivery Muralitharan bowled, Laxman was able to see the tourists through to the lunch break without further incident.
Muttiah Muralitharan Factfile:
1972: Born Kandy, April 17.
1991: Selected for Sri Lanka A's tour of England.
1992: Makes Test debut against Australia in Colombo.
1995: No-balled in Melbourne Test against Australia by umpire Darrell Hair for throwing.
1996: No-balled in Brisbane Test against Australia by umpire Ross Emerson for throwing.
1996: Bowling action cleared by International Cricket Council.
1998: Takes nine for 65 against England at The Oval.
1999: Joins Lancashire and takes 66 wickets in just six County Championship games.
1999: No-balled again for throwing by Emerson in Brisbane Test against Australia; action once again cleared by ICC.
2001: Plays for Lancashire again and takes 50 wickets in seven County Championship matches.
2001: Becomes fastest ever bowler to take 350 Test wickets, achieving the feat in 66 matches.
2002: Takes nine for 51 in first innings of second Test against Zimbabwe in Kandy.
2004: March- Becomes third bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets, during second Test against Australia.
May- Becomes highest wicket-taker in Test history - overtaking Courtney Walsh's 519 victims.
2006: March- Takes 600th Test wicket in second Test against Bangladesh in Bogra a week after becoming first man to reach 1,000 in all international cricket.
2006: June- Takes eight for 70 to help Sri Lanka win by 134 runs to level the npower Test series against England at Trent Bridge.
2007: March/April- Takes 23 wickets at World Cup to help Sri Lanka to final.
July- With last of 26 wickets in three-Test series against Bangladesh, on his home ground at Kandy, becomes second player - after his great spin rival Shane Warne - to reach 700 Test wickets.
December 3- Back at Kandy again, Murali bowls Paul Collingwood to go above Warne as Test cricket's leading all-time wicket-taker with 709.
2008: July- Takes 11 for 110 as Sri Lanka win the first Test against India in Colombo in a match which featured a debut for a new spin sensation, Ajantha Mendis.
2009: February 5- Takes 503rd one-day international wicket against India, breaking Wasim Akram's record.
February 21- Takes 770th Test wicket against Pakistan in Karachi.
July 30- Takes 507th ODI wicket against Pakistan in Dambulla; announces he plans to retire from Test cricket after the November 2010 series against West Indies.
2010: July 6- Brings forward date of retirement to end of first Test against India, which begins July 18.
July 22- Becomes first bowler to take 800 Test wickets, reaching landmark on final day of his final Test against India.