Top 5 Test bowlers with most wickets in winning cause

#2 Muttiah Muralitharan - 438 wickets from 54 Tests

Muralitharan spearheaded Sri Lanka's challenge right throughout his memorable career

Apart from the revered Sir Richard Hadlee, no one comes close to matching Muttiah Muralitharan in terms of shouldering a team's bowling fortunes singlehandedly for a sustained period of time. Even though Chaminda Vaas offered him considerable seam support from the other end, the exalted off-spinner often found himself carrying Sri Lanka's bowling attack on his able shoulders.

Armed with an assortment of bewildering variations as well as an affable smile, Muralitharan spun Sri Lanka to numerous memorable victories during the course of his luminous career. From 54 victorious Tests, the spin maestro amassed 438 wickets at an astounding average of 16.18 and resplendent strike-rate of 42.7.

Quite remarkably, 41 of his 67 five-wicket hauls and 18 of his 22 ten-wicket match hauls came in winning cause. The manner in which he scooped 16 scalps to singlehandedly bulldoze England on a dusty surface at The Oval in 1998 still remains entrenched in the memories of those fortunate enough to witness the virtuoso performance.