Agony for spin king before Ojha succumbs

Muttiah Muralitharan came desperately close to bringing the curtain down on his controversial career stranded on 799 Test wickets.

The leg-spinner went into the final day of his last Test needing two more wickets against India in Galle to reach the milestone.

The tourists had five wickets still standing at the start of play but as they tumbled, Murali must have cursed VVS Laxman for running himself out on 69, denying him a potential wicket.

He snared Harbhajan Singh leg before wicket but the tension was unbearable as the 38-year-old found himself needing one more wicket with India's final pair in the middle.

His Sri Lanka team-mates were doing their best to keep the dream alive, Tillakaratne Dilshan's 10th over of gentle spin passing without alarm.

Then, 23 overs after the dismissal of Harbhajan, the moment Murali will never forget finally arrived. Last man Pragyan Ojha could barely move for close-in fielders when, off the third ball of the over, he was tempted by a flighted off break and edged into the grateful hands of Mahela Jayawadene — and the celebrations began.