Last week I wrote a column on how India lost a close Test match to Pakistan at Chennai. India came back strongly in the second Test at Delhi in 1999 thanks to the brilliance of one man — Anil Kumble — who became only in the second man in the history of Test cricket to claim all 10 wickets of Pakistan in the second innings and square the series 1-1.
Chasing 420 in the last innings, Pakistan were off to a great start with Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar, and they had not lost a single wicket before lunch. But immediately after the break, as it often, Pakistan lost the attacking Afridi — caught behind by Mongia. Four wickets then fell quickly — Ijaj Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin Khan and Yousuf Youhana — and India looked in control of winning the Test easily. Even though all the five wickets fell to Kumble, no one expected the unexpected of a perfect 10 at that time.
Kumble was bowling non-stop and getting tired but he bowled relentlessly from one end and got the key wicket of Saeed Anwar and then Saleem Malik as his seventh victim. That is the time the commentators started asking if Kumble get all 10. And when Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq fell off consecutive deliveries, it became more and more likely. But Waqar Younus survived the over. Javgal Srinath bowled three wides so that the last wicket does not go to him. There was pressure and the last pair of Wasim and Waqar survived three overs and the tension was growing. But that when Wasim edged Kumble to VVS Laxman at short leg, history was made. Kumble had got 10 out of 10. Jim Laker had previously managed the feat for England against Australia in 1956.
India had squared the series but Kumble had created history by picking all 10 wickets. Only last year, New Zealand bowler Ajaz Patel became the third bowler in history when he picked all 10 wickets against India in Mumbai. Such records happen once in 25 years and Kumble’s name will always be in the history books
