Muttiah Muralidharan after taking a wicket in Kandy on Thursday. (AFP)

Kandy: Muttiah Muralidharan took six wickets to help skittle out Bangladesh for 131 on the rain-hit second day of the third and final Test here on Thursday.

Sri Lanka, leading the series 2-0 after big victories in Colombo, then closed the day on 30 for no loss after most of the afternoon was washed out.

Michael Vandort closed on 25 with Upul Tharanga, playing his first game of the series after injuring his foot, unbeaten on four.

The start of Day II was also delayed by rain but Sri Lanka still had time to finish off the Bangladesh innings, which had resumed on 72 for four.

The talismanic off-spinner, playing in his home town, was the chief wrecker, finishing with figures of six for 28 from 14.5 overs, his 59th five-wicket haul in his 113th Test.

Muralidharan took his career tally to 694 wickets, 14 short of Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne’s world record of 708.

Bangladesh started promisingly with captain Mohammed Ashraful (26) and Tushar Imran (17) extending their fifth-wicket stand to 34.

Left-armer Sujeewa de Silva broke through when Mahela Jayawardene held a straightforward slip catch off a loose drive from Imran.

That was soon followed by the dismissal of Ashraful, caught behind off De Silva, and the last six wickets tumbled for just 33 runs in 13.3 overs.

Muralidharan should have had a wicket off his first delivery, captain Ashraful getting a reprieve after edging a wild drive, but he soon struck with a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Mashrafe Mortaza.

Muralidharan claimed another caught and bowled when Mohammed Rafique top-edged a slog-sweep before Shahdat Hossain and Syed Rasel were snapped up at bat-pad.

MURALIDHARAN’S EXPLOITS

MOST TEST WICKETS AT A SINGLE VENUE

Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralidharan claimed six wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings in Kandy on Thursday. Following is a list of bowlers who have taken most of their Test wickets at a single venue:

Muttiah Muralidharan (SL) — 143 in Colombo, SSC
M. Muralidharan (SL) — 102* in Kandy
M. Muralidharan (SL) — 87 in Galle
Heath Streak (Zim) — 83 in Harare
Dennis Lillee (Aus) — 82 in Melbourne
Chaminda Vaas (SL) — 77 in Colombo, SSC
Richard Hadlee (NZ) — 76 in Christchurch

MOST C&B DISMISSALS

The two ‘caught and bowled (C&B)’ dismissals by Muralidharan in Bangladesh’s first innings in Kandy has taken his tally to 30, the most by any bowler in Tests. The following is a list of top five bowlers who have claimed this feat:

*M. Muralidharan (SL) — Wkts: 694; C&B: 30
Anil Kumble (Ind) — Wkts: 552; C&B: 28
Shane Warne (Aus) — Wkts: 708; C&B: 21
Derek Underwood (Eng) — Wkts: 297; C&B: 20
Richie Benaud (Aus) — Wkts: 248; CAB: 17

*Note: Updated till Day II of the third and final Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. (MM)