Murali joins the 600 bandwagon

Muttiah Muralitharan joined the exclusive club in Test bowling by taking 600 Test wickets. The Sri Lankan spinner reached the magical figure on Friday when the former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud (6) holed out to Lasith Malinga at deep square-leg. It was Muralitharan's second wicket of the innings and he has now taken at least 50 against each of the Test-playing nations.

Muralitharan, playing in his 101st test, joined Australia's Shane Warne, who holds the world record with 659 dismissals. Murali played down Warne rivalry by saying: "I think he is the number one bowler and he has proved it taking 650-odd wickets. There is no competition between him and me, it is hard to catch him - he is four years senior to me. Who will play longer will have the record. It depends how things go," Muralitharan told reporters.

The 33-year-old, who made his Test debut in 1992, was the first to reach 500 wickets, but he was beaten to 600 by Warne, who achieved the landmark last August during the Ashes series in England. Warne is now on 659 and if he stays fit, he could be close to 700 by the end of the year with three Tests upcoming in South Africa, to be followed by two in Bangladesh.

With 411 one-day-internationals victims to his name, Muralitharan is also the only player to have taken 1,000 wickets in international cricket. Muralitharan is also the proud owner of many other bowling records, including the highest number of five wicket and 10 wicket hauls in Test cricket.