While fast bowlers have always been considered the glamour boys of the big occasion, spinners have proved that quantity will always edge quality when it comes to wicket taking.
Of course the likes of Murali and Shane Warne, whose wicket-taking record he broke yesterday, bowl many more overs than their quicker teammates - and they have undoubted quality as well.
But the 35-year-old Sri Lankan has a highly impressive average of almost six wickets a Test and there is always a buzz of excitement when he has the ball in his hand.
Everyone loves to see the batsman get one under the heart from a quickie.
But super slo-mo replays of a spinning ball gripping the turf and turning square are hard to beat.
Murali's career has hardly been plain sailing, however.
His action has been questioned on more than one occasion down the years mostly, in my opinion, because observers rarely take to anything slightly out of the norm.
Umpire Darrell Hair no-balled the Sri Lankan seven times during the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne in 1995.
And Aussie great Adam Gilchrist branded him a 'chucker' seven years later despite exhaustive trial by television.
In the end, the authorities decided his action was fine and that the delivery arm's positioning was caused by a genetic defect which means he cannot fully straighten it.
Perhaps the best endorsement of his achievement came from his great rival Warne who was quick to congratulate Murali.
"He's been a wonderful player for a long period of time," said the Australian. "He's an excellent competitor and has been great for Sri Lankan cricket. He'll probably go and get a 1,000 now."
He should also take great credit for the work he did for his fellow countrymen following the tsunami that hit the island in December 2004.
Not content with putting his name to the relief programme, he visited some of the worst hit communities.
And the pictures of the young children, many of them homeless and having suffered bereavement, swarming round him will live long in the memory.
Great cricketer, great human being. He deserves all the accolades that have come his way.

FRANCE coach Raymond Domenech was quick to criticise UEFA after his side was drawn with Holland, Italy and Romania in the same group for the Euro 2008 finals.
But exactly what was he expecting?
His side were beaten twice by Scotland in qualifying for the finals and have been generally less than convincing as a footballing force in recent years.
France have great players but have generally struggled to mould them into a great team.
And, as far as I am concerned, he is clearly concerned that failure in Switzerland and Austria next summer will leave him seeking new employment.