Pictured here in a brand new portrait at Lord's, Muttiah Muralitharan has set a new record for Test wickets

Aged 20, the young Sri Lankan makes his Test debut against Australia in 1992 and claims Craig McDermott as his first scalp

Figures of 16-220 for Muralitharan against England in 1998 at The Oval see the young off-spinner past the 200-wicket mark

Despite an ICC panel giving it the all-clear in 1999, Muralitharan's action continues to attract attention

But his fantastic form in the 1998 season sees him crowned Wisden cricketer of the year in 1999

And in 2002 he becomes the youngest player to take 400 Test wickets when he bowls Zimbabwe's Henry Olonga

Shane Warne is wicket number 496, but the Australian wins the race to become the first spinner past 500 wickets

Murali is not far behind, reaching the 500-wicket mark with the dismissal of Australia's Michael Kasprowicz at Kandy

At just 31, Murali and his Sri Lankan supporters have Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 wickets firmly in their sights

Muralitharan eventually surpasses Walsh's record with his 520th victim in the first Test against Zimbabwe in 2004

But Warne becomes the first player to take 600 Test wickets, during the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 2005

Murali claims his 600th Test wicket against Bangladesh in March 2006, with the dismissal of Khaled Mashud

In July 2007 he takes 12 wickets as Bangladesh are thrashed in Murali's hometown, Kandy, to move his tally to 700

And on 3 December he's back in Kandy to become the world's leading wicket-taker, Paul Collingwood his 709th victim