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Magical Murali's farewell Test trick

On this day in 2010, Muralidaran bid farewell to Test cricket with his 800th wicket

Eight hundred. Like 400 and 99.94 before it, it has become a cricketing number with its own special significance.

That significance began on this day in 2010, when Muthiah Muralidaran cast his spell one final time in Test cricket, helping to earn his side a memorable victory over rivals India and becoming the first man to reach the once unthinkable heights of 800 wickets in the game's longest format.

It was the first Test of the series, at Galle, and the last of Murali's 133, just shy of 18 years after he'd played his first.

Image Id: F20CCB5A969845458413955D6D4662DF Image Caption: Teammates Welegedara and Mathews hold the great man aloft // Getty

The wily off-spinner, who courted controversy wherever he went with his unusual action, entered the contest with 792 wickets to his name.

After Sri Lanka declared at 8-520, Sachin Tendulkar became wicket No.793, a missed sweep shot leaving the Little Master trapped lbw for eight.

The next four came relatively quickly, as India slipped from 2-101 to be 276 all out, Murali stealing the show with figures of 5-63.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara rolled the dice and elected to enforce the follow-on, and off the back of some stubborn resistance from Tendulkar (84) and VVS Laxman (69), the Indians made an improved showing second time around.

Laxman took the contest to the final day, shepherding the tail as he desperately tried to spoil the Murali farewell in front of his home fans.

Image Id: DDDFF63A465B47389BB2C3CA5FB7606C Image Caption: Murali shakes hands with the vanquished Indian side // Getty

By this stage, the off-spinner had taken his tally to within one of an unprecedented 800, with the wickets of Yuvraj Singh, caught at first slip by Mahela Jayawardena for five, and Harbhajan Singh, lbw to the doosra for eight.

But when Laxman was run-out, leaving just one wicket for the Sri Lankans to get, many feared Murali would be stranded on 799; a figure not without its irony considering Bradman's famous batting mark.

However, the man from Kandy continued dancing to the crease, rolling his arm over and sending his hand grenades into the Galle pitch, and eventually, one of them teased, landed, and spat out of the surface, Pragyan Ojha obliging by edging to the reliable Jayawardena at first slip, and history was made.

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A quick-fire 68 not out from Tillakaratne Dilshan sped the hosts to victory, and Murali was able to bask in the spoils of a perfect send-off.

"I started playing when I was eight years old and I still listen to my coach from school days," he said, before addressing the lows that came with the controversial no-balling due to his action, and the many tests he underwent thereafter.

Image Id: 2DF4507DEFE14138A588149F5B4BA493 Image Caption: Murali celebrates his 800th - and the match-winning - wicket // Getty

"Arjuna Ranatunga and (Aravinda) de Silva and all those guys helped me through the tough times in 1995.

"The umpires make their judgments through naked eye, so nothing against them.

"I have no grudge against them and happy to have made it through the tough times.

"I always thought if something goes wrong I can bowl leg spin and continue playing cricket!"

Another leg-spinner, Shane Warne, who had ended his Test career three-and-a-half years earlier with 708 wickets – still the second-most in history – said no-one would come close to Murali's magical 800.

"We always kept an eye on each other," said Warne. "There was a lot to like about Murali, he always had a smile on his face and he always seemed to be enjoying his cricket.

"I admired him from a distance and when we played against each other we always tried to outdo each other.

Image Id: 58D3B02C370E4400B0A39E0EB3B41C60 Image Caption: A Sri Lankan vendor displays the daily papers the day after Murali's 800th // Getty

"It was more about Australia and Sri Lanka but it was good fun, the little battle within the big battle.

"The way he's gone about it has been amazing. There's been a lot of controversy about his action but at the end of the day the ICC cleared him, he's allowed to play, and what he did with the ball was amazing.

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"To face it was quite difficult, especially in those spinning conditions in Sri Lanka.

"I don't think anyone will get there, so well done to Murali for getting his 800."

Sri Lanka will play two Tests against Australia in early 2019, a day-night match at Brisbane starting on January 24, and the first ever Test at Canberra's Manuka Oval, beginning February 1.