Mt Muralitharan: A peak too high, just like the Don's 99.94

James Anderson and R Ashwin are nearing celebrated landmarks but the Sri Lankan's feat remains an unscalable summit 

- Vivek Krishnan

R Ashwin is one away from 500 Test wickets. James Anderson needs five more victims to reach 700 Test wickets. Both bowlers, in the twilight of their decorated careers (yes, we've been expecting Anderson to hang his boots for at least five years now), are expected to touch these significant milestones next week when the riveting action resumes with the third Test between India and England in Rajkot next week.

Impressive as the numbers of these contemporary greats are, this is perhaps an appropriate moment to marvel at the man at the top of this exalted list of highest wicket-takers in Test cricket: Muttiah Muralitharan. Because Anderson has been at it for 21 years and Ashwin for 13, and yet they are a considerable distance away from the magical mark of 800 that the legendary off-spinner breached in the last of his 133 Tests in 2010. While Muralitharan stands on his own having set this statistical benchmark, he is also the fastest to 400, 500, 600 and 700 Test wickets.

The magnitude of Muralitharan's feat has perhaps not been celebrated as much as it ought to be. The fact that he didn't eloquently articulate his craft and talk up his achievements to the wider world may have played a part, but 800 Test wickets is just as otherworldly and out of reach as Don Bradman's Test average of 99.94.