A 10 wicket haul in test cricket is a massive feat for any bowler, and that’s why it is called the perfect 10. Only three bowlers on this planet have tasted this grand success, and yes, the legendary leg spinner Anil Kumble is one of them. Anil Kumble 10 wicket is a milestone worth revisiting, and that’s what we are going to do in this blog post.
The Test Series That Ended 12 Years of Cricket Draught
The year was 1999, and it was a time when both India and Pakistan were working towards rekindling ties. Atal Bihar Vajpaaye was visiting Pakistan on the new Delhi-Lahore bus service, and soon, the news of Pakistan coming for a test match series in India after a cricket drought of 12 years was out.
It was a two-match test series, and the first match was supposed to be played in the Firoz Shah Kotla Stadium of Delhi, followed by the second one in Chennai. But Shiv Sena was against this tour for political reasons. To stop the tour, they dug the entire pitch of Firoz Shah Kotla Stadium and filled it with oil.
Both the Indian Government and the BCCI worked together to make the series happen. BCCI then decided to interchange the location of test matches because restoring the pitch in Delhi was going to take some time. The first test match was shifted to Chennai, and the second one to Delhi.
India lost the first test match in Chennai, and then both teams went to Delhi for the final test match. Nobody would have even thought of the epic Anil Kumble 10 wicket haul in this match.
The Test Match and Anil Kumble 10 Wicket Haul
The Buildup
This was the Anil Kumble 10 wicket match in which the legendary spinner, also known as Jumbo, hit the perfect 10. India won the toss and decided to bat first. But even with a great opening partnership of 88 runs between Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman, India was confined to 252 runs by the fierce attack of the two Ws (Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram).
In the second innings, both Anil Kumble (4 wickets) and Harbhajan Singh (3 wickets) trapped the Pakistani batters in their spin web, and Pakistan fell to pieces with a total of 172 runs only. India took advantage of the 80-run lead and set a gigantic target of 419 runs.
With a target of 419, the opening Pakistani pair stepped on the field. At that time, Pakistani batters wouldn’t have imagined being sent by a single Indian bowler in their wildest dreams.
The Magical Feat of 10 Wicket Haul
The Pakistani innings started with a brilliant partnership of 101 runs between Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi. It sent the Indian fans into despair and fear of losing another test match. India left the stadium for lunch with bruises from the thrashing of the Pakistani openers.
India came to bowl again after lunch with the opening Pakistani batsman still standing tall. But in just 10 minutes, things turned upside down. Jumbo broke the partnership, and then on the very next ball, he bowled out Izaz Ahmded on a duck. This brought India back in the game.
The two back to back wickets catapulted Jumbo’s spirit and he kept sending Pakistani batsman back to pavilion, one after another. It looked like the entire Pakistani time was batting just against Anil Kumble.
Now, Pakistan was left with the last wicket, and Anil Kumble was just one wicket away from making history. It was Wasim Akram on the crease, and while trying to defend, the ball took a thick inside edge of the bat, and it landed in Laxman’s hand. Akram was left baffled, and Anil Kumble made history by taking all 10 wickets in a single test innings.
The entire Pakistani team was sitting in the pavilion, stunned and apart from shock on their faces, the only thing common among them was the bowler who sent them back. The marvelous feat of Anil Kumble 10 wicket in an innings is still remembered as one of the greatest bowling spells of a test innings.
The Inside Story of Anil Kumble 10 Wicket Haul
Plan to Drop Catches
Although every cricket fan knows about Anil Kumble 10 wicket match against Pakistan but little do they know that in the last innings, India had plans to drop catches. Yes, you read it right!
After Anil Kumble took the 9th wicket of Saqlain Mushtaq, the Indian team decided to help Anil Kumble complete his 10 wicket haul by dropping catches if anyone else was bowling. But when Waqar Younis top-edged one of Javagal Srinath’s ball, Sadagopan Ramesh went for the catch.
Luckily, Ramesh dropped the catch, and years later, Anil Kumble revealed in an interview that Sadagopan Ramesh didn’t hear the team plan and forgot that Anil Kumble had 9 out of 9.
Waqar Younis Wanted to Get Run Out
The last men standing between Anil Kumble 10 wicket haul were Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. Akram was caught by Laxman, and finally Anil Kumble took 10 wickets. Years later, Akram revealed that when they were on the crease, Waqar came to him and said, “ Maybe we should get run out and stop Kumble from taking a 10 wicket haul”.
Akram then replied that we will not get run out, but he will not be Kumble’s last wicket. Surprisingly, Akram was the last wicket that the Jumbo stepped on to grab the 10-wicket haul.
However, Waqar denied this and said age is catching up with Akram to which Akram replied, “Get your facts right mate. And if we are going to go down the age road, you know I’ll beat you in that game every time.”
Before You Go…….
With 619 wickets, 35 five-wicket hauls, and a record of most balls bowled in test matches, Anil Kumble stands tall in the realm of legendary spin bowlers. Even after bidding farewell to cricket, he never stopped contributing to the game that gave him so much. He coached the Indian team, mentored IPL teams, and young cricketers as well.
Anil Kumble is one of those rare cricketers in India who are built differently. He was known for his discipline, punctuality, and aggressive approach towards the game, and that’s what made him different from others. Even his nickname, Jumbo, is a perfect single-word explanation of his cricketing career.
FAQ
1. Who was the umpire when Anil Kumble took 10 wickets?
A.V. Jayaprakash was the umpire when Anil Kumble took 10 wickets
2. On which date did Anil Kumble take 10 wickets?
Anil Kumble took 10 wickets on 7th February 1999. It was in the last innings of the second test match between India and Pakistan.
3. Who was the first Indian to take all 10 wickets in an innings?
Anil Kumble is the first cricketer to take all 10 wickets in an innings.
4. How many bowlers have taken 10 wickets haul in a test innings?
Only three bowlers have taken a 10-wicket haul in a test innings- Anil Kumble, Ajaj Patel, and Jim Laker.
5. What is the best 10 wicket figure in a test
Jim Laker’s 10 for 53 is the best 10 wicket figure in a test inning, followed by Anil Kumble’s 10 for 74.
