AP
Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan bowls during the fourth day of the final Test against Bangladesh in Kandy yesterday. Muralitharan became just the second bowler in history to take 700 Test wickets as he claimed six victims yesterday.

KANDY, Sri Lanka (Reuters);

MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN became the second player to claim 700 Test wickets in guiding Sri Lanka to an innings and 193-run victory over Bangladesh in the third and final match of their series yesterday.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 176 shortly before tea on the fourth day after Sri Lanka had declared on their overnight total of 500 for four, condemning the tourists to a 3-0 series whitewash following a pair of equally heavy defeats in Colombo.

Cheered on by a raucous hometown crowd, Muralitharan followed his 6-28 figures in the first innings with 6-54 in the second to capture his 20th 10-wicket haul in Tests.

Muralitharan reached the landmark when he took the last wicket of the match, tricking Syed Rasel into spooning up a catch to Farveez Maharoof at mid off.

The 35-year-old is now just eight wickets behind Australian legspinner Shane Warne's world record tally, a figure he appears set to pass during Sri Lanka's two-Test tour of Australia in November.

Muralitharan was later named Man of the Match and the series having claimed 26 wickets at an average of 10.84.