Anil Kumble became the second bowler after Jim Laker to take all 10 wickets in an innings and he achieved this feat on February 7, 1999, at New Delhi.
Follow Us
It has now been 23 years, but it just feels like it happened yesterday. That was the impact this bowling spell had. On a cloudy, winter day in New Delhi, a Jumbo magician was on display at the Arun Jaitley stadium. Anil Kumble created history in a remarkable spell of bowling which left Pakistan completely stunned. Kumble had played a major part in India’s resurgence. The nation was stunned when Pakistan won a Chennai epic by 12 runs. Sachin Tendulkar’s 136, played with back spasms, ended in tears and agony. So much so, he did not even collect the Man of the Match Trophy.
Heading into the Delhi Test, India needed a miracle. India chose to bat with Sadagopan Ramesh and Mohammad Azharuddin hitting fifties. India ended on 252 and they got an 80-run lead thanks to Anil Kumble’s 4/75 and Harbhajan Singh’s 3/30. Ramesh hit 96 and Sourav Ganguly smashed 62 as India gave Pakistan a target of 420.
On a wearing pitch, Anil Kumble was always lethal. His top spinner and accuracy made life difficult for any batsmen coming outside of India. But, Pakistan had made a spirited reply. Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi then decided to counterattack and they raced to 101/0. Anwar, in particular, was in fantastic form as he blasted 12 fours in his knock of 69. Afridi was looking dangerous.
Read – Ajaz Patel Creates History With Epic 10-wicket haul against India
But, it was only a matter of time before Anil Kumble began his destruction. Here is a breakup of all the wickets that would result in history being created.
Kumble bowled a flatter legbreak that spun away marginally outside off. Afridi was rooted to the crease and he went for the drive. The outside edge was taken by wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia. India had found the first opening.
After the opening, came the flood. Kumble darted a quick ball in on off stump. Ijaz Ahmed looked to press forward but he was trapped plumb in front. After a great stand, Pakistan was now collapsing.
Kumble bowled a slightly quicker ball which stayed a bit low outside off. Inzamam lazily looked to push the ball but got a bottom edge that went back onto the stumps.
In a repeat of the Ijaz Ahmed dismissals, Kumble bowled a quicker ball that drifted in. Yousuf pressed forward but he was rapped on the pads. Although the impact looked outside off, umpire Arani Jayprakash had no hesitation in raising the finger.
It was a classic legspinner delivery. The ball pitched on the middle and leg but it spun away. Moin Khan poked at it but the extra bounce saw the edge go low to first slip. Ganguly dived forward and took a good, low catch.
Pakistan’s resistance ended when Kumble got the ball to spin back into the left-hander. Combined with extra bounce, Anwar got an inside edge onto the thigh pad. VVS Laxman at short leg took the catch easily.
For a brief while, Saleem Malik and Wasim Akram were resisting hard. They had stitched a 58-run stand and seemed to have weathered the storm. Kumble bowled a short ball and Saleem Malik shaped up for the pull. But, the ball skidded through off the surface and Malik was late on the shot. He missed it and the ball clipped the bails to end the resistance.
This was an absolute brute. Kumble pitched the quick delivery on a good length and it spat off the surface like a Cobra. Mushtaq Ahmed had no chance and he lobbed the catch to slip.
Kumble now smelt blood. He bowled a quick ball which again drifted in at pace. Saqlain Mushtaq played inside the line of the ball and was trapped plumb in front. History was now on the cards.
In the previous over, Javagal Srinath had bowled deliveries wide outside off stump to ensure Kumble had the chance. In the third ball of the 61st over, history was created. Kumble bowled a flatter delivery that held its line on the middle stump. Akram pressed forward and got an inside edge that went to short leg. Laxman took the catch and history was created.
Anil Kumble had become the first bowler in the history of Test cricket to take all 10 wickets in an innings. It was on par with Jim Laker’s performance in 1956 against Australia in Manchester where he took 10/53 and 9/37. Kumble ended with magical figures of 26.3-9-74-10. His 10/74 became etched in immortality.
22 years later, one more bowler would join Laker and Kumble. New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel took 10/119 against India in Mumbai to create his own slice of history. Ajaz Patel, playing for New Zealand, was born in Mumbai and it was fitting he achieved his feat in front of his ‘home’ fans. For as long as Tests are played, Kumble’s feat will hold a special place in the hearts of a billion Indians. Kumble would go on and take a total of 619 wickets in his wonderful Test career.
