Editing Muttiah Muralitharan (section)

====Passing Walsh and Warne====
In May 2004, Muralitharan overtook [[West Indies cricket team|West Indian]] [[Courtney Walsh]]'s record of 519 [[Test cricket|Test match]] wickets to become the highest wicket-taker. Zimbabwe's [[Mluleki Nkala]] becomes Muralitharan's 520th scalp in Tests. Muralitharan held the record until [[Shane Warne]] claimed it in October 2004. Warne surpassed Muralitharan's mark of 532 wickets by dismissing India's [[Irfan Pathan]]. Warne said he enjoyed his duel with Muralitharan, who was sidelined following shoulder surgery at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/16/spt6.htm |title=Warne breaks Muralitharan's Test wickets record |work=Dawn |date=3 December 2007 |access-date=6 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041021043708/http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/16/spt6.htm |archive-date=21 October 2004 }}</ref>

After an outstanding year Muralitharan was adjudged as the [[Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World]] in 2006. In six Tests, he took 60 wickets. He took ten in each of four successive matches, the second time he performed such a feat. The opponents for his 60-wicket haul were England away, South Africa at home and New Zealand away: serious opposition. In all, Muralitharan took 90 wickets in 11 Tests in the calendar year.
<ref name="Wisden Leading Cricketer In The World 2006">{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/287072.html|title=Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World 2006|first=Simon|last=Barnes|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=20 March 2008|archive-date=5 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105115318/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/287072.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For his performances in 2006, he was named in the World Test XI by ICC<ref name="ICC Test Team of the Year">[[ICC Test Team of the Year]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=August 2019}} and ESPNcricinfo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/274468.html|title=Twelve from '06|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|date=2 January 2007|access-date=13 October 2019|archive-date=16 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716120313/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/274468.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2007, Muttiah Muralitharan became the second bowler after Warne to capture 700 Test wickets. The off-spinner reached the landmark when he had Bangladesh's last man [[Syed Rasel]] caught in the deep by [[Farveez Maharoof]] on the fourth day of the third and final Test at the Asgiriya stadium in Kandy. The dismissal signalled Sri Lanka's victory by an innings and 193 runs to give the host a 3–0 sweep of the series. Muralitharan finished with six wickets in each innings to claim 10 wickets or more in a Test for the 20th time.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.paktribune.com/sports/newsdetail.php?nid=3438 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131003217/http://www.paktribune.com/sports/newsdetail.php?nid=3438 |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 January 2013 |title=Muralitharan takes 700th wicket |work=PakTribune |date=16 July 2007 |access-date=26 March 2008 }}</ref> However, he was unable to pass Warne's record of 708 wickets when Sri Lanka toured Australia in November 2007, capturing just four wickets in two Test matches.

Muralitharan reclaimed the record for most Test wickets during the first Test against England at [[Kandy]] on {{Nowrap|3 December}} 2007. The spinner bowled England's [[Paul Collingwood]] to claim his 709th Test victim and overtaking Shane Warne in the process.<ref name="Cricinfo record story"/> Muralitharan reached the mark in his 116th Test – 29 fewer than Warne – and had conceded only 21.77 runs per wicket compared to the Australian's 25.41. This was Muralitharan's 61st 5-wicket haul.<ref name="Test record" /><ref name="BBC record 2007-12-03">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7124486.stm |title=Murali record dents England hopes |work=BBC Sport |date=3 December 2007 |access-date=3 December 2007 |location=London |first=Oliver |last=Brett |archive-date=6 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206115634/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7124486.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Warne believed that Muralitharan would take "1,000 wickets" before he retired.<ref name="Warne comments">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/3626081.stm |title=Warne backs Murali record |first=John |last=May |work=BBC Sport |date=14 April 2004 |access-date=18 December 2007 |location=London |archive-date=16 April 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040416011139/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/3626081.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Former record holder [[Courtney Walsh]] also opined that this would be possible if Muralitharan retained his hunger for wickets.<ref name="Walsh comments">{{Cite news |url=http://ia.rediff.com/cricket/2006/nov/10walsh1.htm |title=Murali could reach 1000 wkts: Walsh |first=Harish |last=Kotlan |work=Rediff.com |date=10 November 2006 |access-date=18 December 2007 |archive-date=20 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120111627/http://ia.rediff.com/cricket/2006/nov/10walsh1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Muralitharan himself believed there was a possibility that he would reach this milestone.<ref name="Murali prediction">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/sri_lanka/6209055.stm |title=I can take 1,000 wickets – Murali |work=BBC Sport |date=25 December 2006 |access-date=18 December 2007 |location=London |archive-date=10 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210042554/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/sri_lanka/6209055.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> For his performances in 2007, he was named in the World Test XI by ICC<ref name="ICC Test Team of the Year"/>{{Circular reference|date=August 2019}} and ESPNcricinfo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/review2007/content/story/328571.html|title=Mainly Aussie|last=Premachandran|first=Dileep|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|date=3 January 2008|access-date=13 October 2019|archive-date=27 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127160815/http://www.espncricinfo.com/review2007/content/story/328571.html|url-status=live}}</ref>