Warne hails record-breaker Murali

Muttiah Muralitharan was immediately congratulated by spin rival Shane Warne after breaking the Test bowling record.

Sri Lanka's Muralitharan became the most prolific bowler in the history of the game with the dismissal of England's Paul Collingwood, his 709th career victim, at Asgiriya.

"Congratulations to Murali - he's been a wonderful player for a long period of time," said Australian Warne, who retired on 708 earlier this year. "He'll probably go on and get 1,000 now, but I'd just like to say 'well done on the record'."

Muralitharan admitted he was glad that his record-breaking wicket had come on home soil.

"It is the right timing," he told Sky Sports.

"That's a special wicket. It was not meant that way because I tried to spin the ball and it didn't spin."