Sportskeeda's All-Time Test XI: From the realms of immortality

#11 – Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)

Muralitharan had the propensity to bowl lengthy spells of sustained pressure

Test cricket’s highest wicket-taker ever, Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan generated a great deal of mystery both on and off the field. Blessed with a supple pair of wrists, the off-spinner carried the tiny island nation’s fortunes almost single-handedly for a substantial part of his career.

Even as the controversy surrounding his bowling action never ceased to exist, he accepted bouquets as well as brickbats with a warm smile.

Rendering incomparable services to his team, Muralitharan did not mind sending down a monstrous number of overs right throughout the day. Though he had to shoulder a heavy workload, the affable character refused to flinch and instead primed his focus to ensure that the relentless in the final delivery was not too far off from the opening one with a mind-boggling 67 five-wicket hauls testifying to the fact.

Did You Know – During the 2004 tsunami which wreaked havoc on places surrounding the Indian Ocean, Muralitharan narrowly escaped nature’s fury when he arrived at Seenigama (a village near Galle) 20 minutes later than scheduled. Shaken by the destruction caused, he responded by being extensively involved in the subsequent philanthropic work.

Statistics: 800 wickets from 133 matches at an average of 22.72 with 67 five-wicket hauls and 22 ten-wicket hauls.