Cricket: The career of Muttiah Muralitharan

First wicket – 28 Aug 1992 Eventually taking three, Murali traps Craig McDermott lbw to collect his first wicket on his Test debut Photograph: Chris Cole/Getty Images Action called into question – 27 Dec 1995 Playing his 22nd Test, Murali is no-balled by Darrell Hair seven times for a suspect action on the second day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Less than 10 days later Ross Emerson, umpiring his first match, no-balls him for a suspect action in a one-day international against West Indies at Brisbane. The ICC investigates his action and clears him Photograph: Getty Images Reaches 100 wickets – 16 Mar 1997 Nearly five years after his first Test, Murali becomes Sri Lanka’s first bowler to reach 100 wickets when he dimisses New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming at Hamilton Photograph: David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images Best match figures – 11 Aug 1998 It takes him just 18 months to gather the next 100 wickets and the 200th comes in the form of Ben Hollioake as Murali collects career best figures of 16 for 220 in a one-off Test against England Photograph: Adrian Murrell/Getty Images Reaches 300 wickets – 30 Dec 2000 In his 58th Test, Shaun Pollock becomes victim No300 in the first Test at Kingsmead. Only Dennis Lillee, in 55 Tests, has reached the landmark quicker Photograph: Obed Zilwa/AP Fastest to 400 – 15 Jan 2002 Upping the pace of collection, if not delivery, Murali bowls Henry Olonga at Galle to become the fastest ever to take 400 Test wickets Photograph: Reuters Doosra outlawed – April 2004 After being reported by Chris Broad the previous month, and undergoing more tests, the ICC effectively outlaws his doosra. Sri Lanka Cricket instructs Muralitharan to stop bowling the doosra in international cricket Photograph: Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Sets world record – 8 May 2004 Harare is the stage as Murali dismisses Mluleki Nkala to pass Courtney Walsh’s all-time record of 520 Test wickets Photograph: AP Photograph: guardian.co.uk Reaches 700 wickets –14 Jul 2007 Murali takes his 700th wicket in Kandy, his hometown against Bangladesh, only 12 Tests after accruing 600 Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images Overtakes Warne again – 3 Dec 2007 Having seen Warne steal top spot in the all-time rankings, Kandy is again the venue and Paul Collingwood the victim in the first innings as Murali re-establishes himself as the all-time highest Test wicket taker on 709. He took six in total in that innings Photograph: Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images Wicket No792 – 4 Dec 2009 Murali in action against India. Zaheer Khan is wicket No4 from the innings, but Sri Lanka still lose by an innings and 24 runs Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Announces retirement – 6 Jul 2010 Murali brings forward his anticipated retirement in November by announcing he will retire from Test match cricket after Sri Lanka face India in Galle on 19 July. The decision leaves him with just one Test to reach the 800-wicket mark. Can he do it? His record in Galle: 103 wickets in 14 Tests, an average of just over seven per Test Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images His final Test – 22 July 2010 Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse (right) shakes hands with Muralitharan at the start of the final day of his Test career Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images Nearly there – 22 July 2010 Murali celebrates his 799th Test wicket, only one more to go to make 800 but there are only three Indian wickets to take... Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Reuters He's got it! – 22 July 2010 India are nine wickets down and Murali needs to take their final batsman to reach 800. He finally dismisses India's Pragyan Ojha to reach the milestone with his final ball in Test cricket Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Reuters