Kandy, December 3:

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan become Test cricket’s most successful bowler on Monday after surpassing retired Shane Warne’s record tally of 708.

The off-spinner, playing his 116th Test, bowled Paul Collingwood in the morning session of the third day of the first Test against England here to grab the record in his home town. The 35-year-old’s achievement was watched by about 6,000 joyous fans at the Asgiriya stadium, including his parents and Indian wife Madhimalan.

The feat marks a new height in the 15-year career of one of the most celebrated bowlers of the modern game whose controversial bent-arm action was questioned in the past by umpires. Muralitharan had previously held the record briefly in 2004 when he overtook West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh’s 519-wicket mark, before Warne surpassed him.

Muralitharan’s 61st five-wicket haul - he finished with 6-55 to take his tally to 710 - saw England being bowled out for 281 on the third morning in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 188. The beaming Sri Lankan told a television interviewer during the lunch break

that “it was the right time” to achieve the record. “It’s my hometown, my parents are here, my wife is here, all the relatives are here and all my schoolfriends,” said Muralitharan. Muralitharan said he regarded the 16 wickets he took against England at the Oval in 1998 as his best performance.

Warne, paying rich tributes to his fellow-spinning great, said in Australia that Muralitharan’s record will stand for ever. “I congratulate Murali for breaking the record I had,” said Warne. “Murali has said he wanted to take 1,000 Test wickets and he is every chance of getting there. If he does I don’t think anyone else will catch him.”