The 38-year-old, who needed eight scalps at the start of the match to reach the landmark, achieved the feat with the wickets of Harbhajan Singh before lunch and Pragyan Ojha shortly after the interval as India were all out for 338. [break]
Having enforced the follow-on after restricting their guests to 276 in response to 520 for eight declared, Sri Lanka were left with a victory target of just 95.
Muralitharan, carried off the field on his team-mates´ shoulders, spent a considerable amount of time stuck on 799, but his efforts bore fruit in the end as Mahela Jayawardene´s catch propelled the off-spinner into the record books yet again.
India endured a torrid morning session and any hopes they harbored of resilient pair VVS Laxman (69) and Ishant Sharma (31 not out) engineering a dramatic draw were soon dashed.
Within five overs of the restart after lunch, an attempted quick single resulted in the former being caught well short of the crease thanks to Angelo Mathews´ direct hit.
Sharma and new man Ojha held the fort for a while, steering the lead close to the 100 mark.
However, Ojha eventually fell to Muralitharan´s flighted delivery, edging it for a comfortable catch at first slip to mark the end of the India innings and signaling the fireworks in Galle.
Resuming the final day at 181 for five, India were powerless to prevent the Sri Lanka bowlers running through their middle order this morning.
India´s hopes of salvaging a draw were given a jolt in only the second over of the day as Lasith Malinga sent in a yorker which shattered skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni´s middle and leg stumps.
Muralitharan reached number 799 of his Test career as he trapped new man Harbhajan leg before wicket for eight with a peach of a doosra delivery.
With the buzz around the ground growing, it was down to Laxman to prod India past the Sri Lanka total and prevent an embarrassing innings defeat for the visitors.
Malinga, however, seemed keen to prevent Muralitharan from taking all the glory, the fiery paceman snapping up his fifth wicket of the game with yet another lbw by snaring Abhimanyu Mithun to end a promising 49-run partnership.
Just as Virender Sehwag had done in the first innings, Laxman emerged as India´s saving grace with his 44th Test half-century from 101 balls.
And despite a barrage of appeals on practically every delivery Muralitharan bowled, Laxman was able to see the tourists through to the lunch break without further incident.
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