Editing Muttiah Muralitharan (section)

===Batting===
An aggressive lower order batsman who usually batted at No. 11, Muralitharan was known for his tendency to back away to leg and slog. Sometimes, he could be troublesome for bowlers because of his unorthodox and adventurous ways. Once, in a Test match against England, while playing Alex Tudor, he moved back towards his leg stump trying to hook the ball and ended up lying on the ground sideways after the shot. He was infamously run out in a match against New Zealand when he left his crease to congratulate [[Kumar Sangakkara]], who had just scored a single to reach his century; the New Zealand fielder had not yet returned the ball to the wicketkeeper, so the ball was still in play. His highest Test score of 67 came against India at Kandy in 2001, including three sixes and five fours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/276556.html |title=ESPNcricinfo&nbsp;XI: Long live the tail |first=Andrew |last=Miller |date=16 January 2007 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=31 January 2008 |archive-date=27 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227040110/http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/276556.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He made valuable scores on occasion, including 30 runs against England at the Oval in 1998, including 5 fours,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1998/SL_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL_ENG_T_27-31AUG1998.html |title=Test match: England v Sri Lanka at The Oval, 27–31 August 1998 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=1 April 2011 |archive-date=6 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206210616/http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1998/SL_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL_ENG_T_27-31AUG1998.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 38 runs (4 fours, 1 six) against England at Galle in 2003,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2003-04/ENG_IN_SL/SCORECARDS/ENG_SL_T1_02-06DEC2003.html |title=1st Test: Sri Lanka v England at Galle, 2–6 December 2003 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=1 April 2011 |archive-date=24 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224014808/http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2003-04/ENG_IN_SL/SCORECARDS/ENG_SL_T1_02-06DEC2003.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 43 runs (5 fours, 3 sixes) against Australia at Kandy in 2004<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2003-04/AUS_IN_SL/SCORECARDS/AUS_SL_T2_16-20MAR2004.html |title=2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Australia at Kandy, 16–20 March 2004 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=1 April 2011 |archive-date=23 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423001021/http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2003-04/AUS_IN_SL/SCORECARDS/AUS_SL_T2_16-20MAR2004.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 36 runs against the West Indies at Colombo in 2005,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/WI_IN_SL/SCORECARDS/WI_SL_T1_13-17JUL2005.html |title=1st Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Colombo (SSC), 13–17 July 2005 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=1 April 2011 |archive-date=8 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008013322/http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/WI_IN_SL/SCORECARDS/WI_SL_T1_13-17JUL2005.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and his highest-ever ODI score, 33 [[not out]] (4 fours and 2 sixes off 16 balls) against Bangladesh in the final of the [[Tri-Series in Bangladesh in 2008-09|2009 Tri-Series in Bangladesh]].<ref name="2009 Tri-Series Final scorecard">{{cite news |url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/tri-bdesh/engine/match/378756.html |title=ODI no, 2794, Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh – Final, Bangladesh v. Sri Lanka |date=16 January 2009 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=16 January 2009 |archive-date=16 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116231700/http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/tri-bdesh/engine/match/378756.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the latter match, Muralitharan's effort, which included three fours and a six off one over, played a key role in Sri Lanka winning the match and series after the first eight overs saw them reduced to 6 for 5, the lowest score ever recorded in an ODI at the fall of the fifth wicket.<ref name="2009 Tri-Series Final report">{{cite news |url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/tri-bdesh/content/story/386587.html |title=Murali cameo clinches humdinger |date=16 January 2009 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=16 January 2009 |archive-date=16 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116231650/http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/tri-bdesh/content/story/386587.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Muralitharan has a strike rate close to 70 in Test cricket and scored over 55% of his Test runs in fours and sixes.<ref name="Profile ESPNcricinfo" />

Muralitharan, together with [[Chaminda Vaas]], holds the record for the highest 10th wicket partnership in Tests for Sri Lanka. The pair put on 79 runs for the last wicket at the [[Asgiriya Stadium]] against Australia in March 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/fow/highest_partnerships_by_wicket.html?class=1;id=8;type=team |title=Sri Lanka, Test matches, Highest partnerships by wicket |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=2 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121061250/http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/fow/highest_partnerships_by_wicket.html?class=1%3Bid%3D8%3Btype%3Dteam |archive-date=21 November 2007 }}</ref> Muralitharan also holds the record for scoring most runs in Test cricket while batting at the number 11 position.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/Batting/BattingBestAggregateForPosition.asp |title=Most test runs in each batting position |work=Howstat |access-date=2 March 2008 |archive-date=6 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706033333/http://www.howstat.com/cricket/statistics/Batting/BattingBestAggregateForPosition.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

Muralitharan currently holds the record for the most [[duck (cricket)|ducks]] (dismissals for zero) ever in international cricket (Tests, ODI's and Twenty20), with a total of 59 ducks.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Cricinfo'', [http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/431248.html Ask Steven (Most ducks in international cricket; most ducks as opener batsman] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526195703/http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/431248.html |date=26 May 2010 }}</ref>