On this day in 1999: Anil Kumble emulates Jim Laker to take all 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Twenty-three years ago, on 7 February, legendary cricketer Anil Kumble scripted history by becoming the first Indian bowler to have picked up 10 wickets in an innings of a Test match.

The right-arm leg-spinner, fondly known as ‘Jumbo’ also became the second man in Test cricket history to have achieved this glorious record. England cricketer Jim Laker was the first player to take a all 10 wickets during a Test against Australia in 1956.

Anil Kumble achieved this feat in the second Test of the two-match series played against Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi in 1999.

The hosts had already lost the first Test held in Chennai by a slim margin of 12 runs and were trailing the series 0-1.

In the second Test, India won the toss and chose to bat first. Captain Mohammad Azharuddin and batter Sadagoppan Ramesh scored half-centuries and led the home team to a score of 252 runs in the first innings.

Pakistan entered the batting scene but none of the batters could score a half-century. Anil Kumble picked four wickets and Harbhajan Singh bagged three. With India’s exceptional bowling performance, Pakistan were bundled for 172 in the first innings.

The second innings saw some splendid contributions from the Indian side, with Sadagoppan Ramesh scoring 96 runs. Apart from that, Sourav Ganguly scored a gritty half-century (62) and Javagal Srinath made 49. India made a solid score of 339 runs in the second innings.

Pakistan were now chasing a score of 420 runs. Batters Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi gave their team a great start by scoring 41 and 69 runs respectively. However, Anil Kumble broke the partnership at 101 runs and dismissed Afridi for 41.

In the next delivery, Pakistan batter Ijaz Ahmed was trapped plumb in front of the wickets and dismissed, leading to Pakistan losing two wickets in two balls. This was however, only the beginning of what was going to come.

Four overs later, Kumble dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq and sent batter Mohammad Yousuf packing for a duck in the same over. The visiting team were now reduced to a score of 115 for 4.

With 127 on the scoreboard, Pakistan batter Moin Khan became Kumble’s fifth victim. The team’s top scorer, Saeed Anwar was also bowled out by the leg-spinner at 69. Wasim Akram and Saleem Malik’s partnership did provide some respite to the team by adding 50 runs, but Malik was soon dismissed by Kumble.

Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed were also bowled out in the same over. With 198 for 9, Wasim Akram was left to save the day for Pakistan. However he also became a victim of the champion Indian leg-spinner, and Kumble cleaned up Pakistan for 207.

India achieved a stupendous victory by 212 runs and Anil Kumble was declared the Player of the Match. Kumble finished with bowling figures of 10-74 in 26.3 overs.

With his 10-wicket haul and fantastic bowling display, India made a spectacular win and Kumble registered his name in the pages of history to become the first Indian bowler who scalped all 10 wickets in a Test innings.

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