Muttiah Muralidharan at nets in Chittagong on Monday

Chittagong: Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidharan is set to play his 100th Test when the visitors meet Bangladesh in the first Test on Tuesday, but that might not be the only milestone he reaches. The off-spinner needs only five wickets to become the first player to chalk up 1,000 Test and one-day wickets. He is also six wickets shy of becoming only the second player after Australia’s Shane Warne to take 600 Test wickets.

“You never know when it will come,” he said of reaching 600 Test wickets. “I always try to bowl my best and try to help my team win. If it comes it comes, otherwise it will take another series.” Muralidharan said it was a “good feeling” to play his 100th Test match and that he never thought about achieving the feat when he started playing.

He will become the second Sri Lankan after former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, and the 36th cricketer in the world, to make 100 Test appearances.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, are hoping to inspire themselves with their one-day wins. “Our Test record is not good but we are confident of doing better after our recent performances in one-dayers,” said captain Habibul Bashar, who led his team to their first international win over Sri Lanka last week.

The home side won the second ODI of a three-match series in Bogra on Wednesday to keep alive the series, a rarity for Bangladesh.

They eventually lost 1-2, but after wins over India and Australia in the past two seasons, they have shown their capability of springing the odd surprise in the one-day form of the game.

But they have yet to turn the tables on any big team in Tests, having lost 35 of their matches, 24 by innings margins. (AGENCIES)