The juggernaut rolls on

Had Muttiah Muralitharan not spun his way deeper into the record books, memories of Zimbabwe's three-Test tour of Sri Lanka would perhaps have faded by now. The cricket was dreary, one-sided and predictable. It was a Test series by name, but seldom have Sri Lanka been tested less.

The home side swept easily to their second consecutive series whitewash, winning the first two games by an innings apiece and the third by 315 runs, to extend their record to eight on the bounce - unprecedented for a side from the subcontinent.

Before the series, Zimbabwean captain Stuart Carlisle candidly admitted that his side's expectations were limited. He hoped they could "snatch a couple of draws".

Limited horizons bred guerilla tactics - Zimbabwe pulled back onto the defensive whenever Sri Lanka grasped the upper hand. With a packed off-side field, and with sweepers patrolling the boundary, they desperately tried to build up pressure by reducing run-scoring opportunities. But Sri Lanka weren't unprepared: the side was full of patient accumulators like Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Hashan Tillekeratne and Thilan Samaraweera. The result was attritional cricket.

Sri Lanka's confident top order consistently piled up the runs, with five players averaging over 50, leaving Zimbabwe with their backs to the wall as Muralitharan wheeled away mercilessly on invariably bone-dry pitches.

Attention soon shifted from the tussle between the two sides to the battle Murali was waging against the record books, as the offspinner with the destructive disability spun his way past a series of landmarks. With key Zimbabwean Andy Flower struggling - he only scored 80 runs all series - Murali had a field day, finishing with 30 wickets at an average of 9.80, a new Sri Lankan record for a three-match series, surpassing the 26-wicket record he had previously shared with Chaminda Vaas.

He saved his best for Kandy, his hometown, where he narrowly missed out on taking all 10 wickets in the first innings, finishing with 13 for 116 in the match. On a placid first-day surface on which his colleagues struggled to beat the bat, he twisted and turned his way through Zimbabwe's frail batting to finish the day with 9 for 51, still in with a chance of surpassing Jim Laker's historic 10 for 53.

Had it not been for Russel Arnold's fumble at silly point, Murali would have dismissed Travis Friend first ball the next morning. Next over, his chance slipped away as Henry Olonga feathered a catch behind off Chaminda Vaas. Nevertheless, Murali's tally was still the fifth-best analysis in history and it paved the way for his 10th Test ten-for - a new world record.

Next, at Galle, where he averages seven wickets a game, he reached 400 Test wickets in record time, becoming not only the fastest to reach the landmark - in just 72 games, eight fewer than Richard Hadlee - but also the youngest, at 29 years of age. Poised on 395 wickets before the game, both he and an expectant local crowd were forced to wait as Sri Lanka batted first, crawling to 418. Then, Carlisle and Trevor Gripper, caused further frustration as they padded and prodded their way through the third day. However, the wickets started to tumble after Sanath Jayasuriya grabbed the breakthrough on the third evening. Left on 397 overnight, Murali dashed to the landmark next morning, taking three wickets for just one run.

Zimbabwe, for their part, were severely handicapped by the absence of a specialist spinner. Leggie Brian Murphy, rushed back into the squad prematurely after a broken finger, was so short of confidence and form going into the first Test that, despite being captain, he decided to drop himself "in the best interests of the team". When he was later forced out of the tour with a fresh hand injury, a replacement was anticipated. However, bizarrely, in conditions that demanded specialist slow bowlers, none were sent, apparently on the grounds of cost.

So Zimbabwe went into the opening Test with four fast bowlers backed up by part-time spinners Grant Flower and Gripper. They gambled at the toss, electing to bowl first on a pitch that traditionally helps the fast bowlers early on. But the pitch was far drier than anticipated and, with Jayasuriya and Atapattu both receiving early reprieves, the plan backfired. Sri Lanka grabbed the initiative, rattling up 586 for 6, thanks to centuries from Sangakkara and Samaraweera.

Needing to bat three days to save the game, Zimbabwe's batsmen successfully played themselves in but didn't capitalise. There were 10 scores between 20 and 44, but no-one passed 50.

With Sri Lanka's trio of seamers providing Muralitharan good support, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 184 and 236, to hand the hosts their largest ever innings victory, with a day to spare. On the eve of the second Test, Zimbabwe were given a glimmer of hope when dissent broke out in the Sri Lankan ranks in the form of a high profile, morale-threatening rift that arose when the selectors tried to "rest" vice-captain Atapattu without consulting the captain and coach. A handful of players considered standing down in protest before the sports minister intervened, overruling the selectors.

With harmony restored, Murali started his demolition job. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 236 - it could have been worse had Murali's team-mates not tried to ensure that he take all 10. But when he failed to do so, Jayasuriya lightened the mood with a belligerent century, clubbing 139 off 212, as Sri Lanka cruised to 505. It was the sixth time in seven Tests that they had passed 500. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 175 as Charitha Buddika, Sri Lanka's new pocket-sized paceman, grabbed four wickets.

In the final Test, Murali was the cynosure of all eyes, but Zimbabwe fought bravely on the first three days. Carlisle and Gripper compiled a studious 153 for the first wicket and Zimbabwe started the fourth morning at 230 for 5, with a chance of a face-saving draw.

But three days of honest toil were followed by one of submissive madness. The last five wickets were surrendered for just six runs and then, after Sri Lanka smashed 212 for 2 declared from 41 overs, they crashed to defeat, bowled out for 79 in a single session.