Muralitharan signs off home career with wicket

Mar 29, 2011 |

Colombo

Tags:

World Cup

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan celebrated his last ball in international cricket on home soil with a wicket in the World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.

Muralitharan had Scott Styris lbw off the final ball of his 10th over to finish with 2-42 after earlier dismissing Jesse Ryder for 19.

He has so far taken 534 wickets in 349 matches to add to his 800 Test wickets -- another world record.

The 38-year-old will retire after the World Cup, the final of which takes place in Mumbai on Saturday.

"The same thing happened with me in Test cricket," said Muralitharan, who got a wicket with what turned out to be his final delivery in Tests when he dismissed India's last-man Pragyan Ojha in Galle last year.

Muralitharan said the Sri Lankan batsmen needed to be positive in pursuit of a 218-run target.

"I think it's a gettable total. It's a slow wicket with a little bit of spin. Now we have to play well," said Muralitharan.

"We have to be positive and should not be afraid of playing shots and put their bowlers under pressure."

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