Murali aims higher

Muralitharan took nine wickets in the third Test

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the quickest and youngest bowler to take 400 Test wickets on Tuesday, and then set his sights on 200 more.

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"The main thing in my mind now is to take 500 wickets," said the 29-year-old, following his side's 315-run defeat of Zimbabwe in Galle.

"But if I remain fit and keep performing well then I can continue for another five years and get 600."

Muralitharan took his 400th scalp on the fourth morning of the third Test, dismissing Henry Olonga.

And he took four more wickets in the second innings as the tourists were bowled out for 79.

That gave him a total of 30 victims in the Test series - the most by a Sri Lankan in a three-match contest - and the man of the series award.

"It is hard to take 400 wickets," Muralitharan said.

"It is a great moment of my career. I am really proud to have reached the milestone in fewer Tests than others."

New Zealand fast bowler Richard Hadlee was the first and fastest to reach the 400-mark in 80 Tests, but the Sri Lankan did it in only 72.

He also surpassed Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, the previous youngest at 31 when he took his 400th wicket against England at The Oval last year.

Team success

Warne and Muralitharan are the only spinners to have passed the 400 mark but the Sri Lankan said he would rather concentrate on his own performance rather than target rivals.

  Leading Test bowlers

Courtney Walsh (WI) 132 caps, 519 wkts

Kapil Dev (Ind) 131, 434

Richard Hadlee (NZ) 86, 431

Shane Warne (Aus) 98, 430

Wasim Akram (Pak) 103, 414

Curtly Ambrose (WI) 98, 405

Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) 72, 400

"I don't see Shane Warne as a rival. If he gets 500 or 600 wickets, I do not mind as it is his achievement," he said.

This was Sri Lanka's eighth successive Test victory at home since August, having beaten India and Bangladesh once, and then recording 3-0 sweeps of West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Muralitharan said that the performance of the team was more important than his own achievement.

And he cited the support of Sri Lanka's other bowlers as one of the main reasons for his success.

He credited opening pair Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa, as well as captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who took nine wickets in the match, including his first five-wicket haul.

"There is no point in setting records if the team does not win," he said.

"When you keep pressure from both the ends, you normally get more wickets.

"That is why I have been taking wickets regularly for the past four years."

Olonga's wicket sparked celebrations around the ground with fireworks exploding, a public tribute on radio stations and television and a congratulatory banner from the series sponsors.

And Muralitharan was congratulated by President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the feat.

"You have without doubt brought fame to your motherland and gladdened the hearts of Sri Lankans everywhere," Kumaratunga said in her message.