Retiring Murali touches 800 mark with 8-wkt haulGALLE, Sri Lanka – Muttiah Muralitharan captured his record 800th Test wicket with the final ball of his career Thursday as Sri Lanka cruised to a 10-wicket victory after finally breaking India's stubborn resistance. Requiring 95 for victory, the host reached its target shortly after tea on the fifth and last day with Tillakaratne Dilshan racing to 68 not out and Tharanga Paranavitana unbeaten on 23. However the final stages of the weather-interrupted Test, which lost a day to rain, belonged to off-spinner Muralitharan who ended India's second innings in typically flamboyant style. The 38-year-old leading wicket-taker in Tests and one-day internationals dismissed Pragyan Ojha to become the first man to pass the 800 mark in a fitting finale to a brilliant career, with his family cheering him on from the stands. Murali, though, was more concerned with victory than reaching his personal landmark. “Eight hundred is only a number. We wanted to get the wickets quickly. You never know in Galle with the weather, winning the match was the important thing,” he told reporters after taking 3-128 in the second innings. He had five wickets in the first innings. “I wouldn't have minded if it (the record) didn't come. My only scare was when paceman Lasith Malinga (five for 50) had to go off the field.” Last man Ojha, acrobatically caught by Mahela Jayawardene at first slip for 13, was the final wicket to fall as India totalled 338, his dismissal setting off wild celebrations among Sri Lanka's players and fans. Murali's unique feat, which is unlikely to be matched, was greeted by fireworks and his teammates all ran to hug the spinner before carrying him shoulder high to the dressing room. Murali said he had quit at the right time. “I have played for 18 years and I thought there are three other good spinners in the side,” he said. “They are 24-25 years old and I am 38. I thought it's better to give them a chance. I have nothing more to achieve.” Earlier, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa flew in by helicopter to watch a few minutes of play and spoke to Murali and the rest of the team. He also presented Muralitharan a memento during the lunch break. Murali went into the final day of a 133-match Test career needing two wickets to retire with 800 victims and it took him just 15 deliveries to trap Harbhajan Singh lbw for eight. India, who had resumed on 181-5 and 63 runs short of making the hosts bat again, survived more than an hour of the afternoon session before Murali dismissed Ojha in his 45th over of the innings. At lunch, Murali remained frustrated as Sri Lanka faced stubborn resistance from India's Vangipurappu Laxman. Laxman navigated his side through the opening session with 58 not out as lunch was taken on 292 for eight, the batsman doing well to save India from an innings defeat. When play began India knew it would be a massive task to avoid defeat and it got off to a terrible start when it lost skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan cheaply inside 20 minutes. Dhoni was yorked by the imperious Malinga for four and Harbhajan was trapped by Murali as he tried to sweep a straight ball. Debutant Abhimanyu Mithun joined Laxman in an eighth-wicket stand of 49 to hold up Sri Lanka's victory charge before Malinga removed Mithun lbw for 25 to capture his fifth wicket. Murali changed ends often in search of his elusive wicket but Laxman and Ishant Sharma kept him waiting until the former was run out for a fighting 69 to leave a pair of tail-enders at the crease. “I thank my family and my teammates, both past and present, without whose support I would not have achieved anything.” He said he would be available for limited-over games. “I have spoken to the selectors and if they want me for the World Cup next year, I will be available,” he said. The spinner said he held no grudges against those, especially Australian umpires Darrel Hair and Ross Emerson, who questioned his bowling action. “Life is about forgiving and fogetting,” he said. “They had a job to do and did what they thought was right. But I am grateful to the International Cricket Council for giving me a chance to prove my innocence.” Among others present to bid farewell to Muralitharan were ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and top officials from Sri Lanka Cricket. – ReutersScoreboard Sri Lanka (1st Innings) 520-8 declared India (1st innings) 276 India (2nd innings) G. Gambhir c P. Jayawardene b Malinga 00 Sehwag c M. Jayawardene b Welegedara 31 R. Dravid c Sangakkara b Malinga 44 S. Tendulkar lbw b Malinga 84 V. Laxman run out 69 Y. Singh c M. Jayawardene b Murali 05 M. Dhoni b Malinga 04 H. Singh lbw b Murali 08 A. Mithun lbw b Malinga 05 I. Sharma not out 31 P. Ojha c M. Jayawardene b Murali 13 Extras: (b5, lb9, w2, nb8) 24 Total (all out, 115.4 overs) 338 Falls: 1-0 (Gambhir), 2-42 (Sehwag), 3-161 (Dravid), 4-172 (Tendulkar), 5-181 (Yuvraj), 6-186 (Dhoni), 7-197 (Harbhajan), 8-246 (Mithun), 9-314 (Laxman), 10-338 (Ojha). Bowling: Malinga 17-2-50-5 (nb2), Welegedara 10-2-43-1 (nb3, w1), Herath 27-3-60-0 (nb2), Mathews 7-3-13-0 (w1), Muralitharan 44.4-7-128-3 (nb1), Dilshan 10-1-30-0. Sri Lanka (2nd innings) T. Paranavitana not out 23 T. Dilshan not out 68 Extras: (w1, nb4) 05 Total (for no loss, 14.1 overs) 96 Bowling: Mithun 5-0-33-0 (w1), Sharma 4-0-28-0 (nb4), Ojha 3-0-11-0, Harbhajan 2.1-0-24
