Courtesy: BCCI
On February 7, 1999, Anil Kumble broke into the record books for picking up 10 wickets in the second innings of the Delhi Test against Pakistan. At Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium (now Arun Jaitley Stadium), the legendary leg-spinner wreaked havoc on the Wasim Akram-led Pakistan to help India clinch a colossal 212-run win. The sensational bowling spell helped India level the series after losing the opening Test match in Chennai by a close margin of 12 runs.
Before Kumble’s breath-taking feat, India captain Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and elected to bat first. In the crucial contest, Azharuddin led from the front and scored 67 runs after facing 134 balls. Sadagoppan Ramesh also put up a decent show with his bat, hitting 60 off 119. However, Team India succumbed to Saqlain Mushtaq’s disciplined bowling show and capitulated at a score of 252. Pakistan off-spinner took advantage of Delhi’s turning track and clinched a fifer. Mushtaq Ahmed also grabbed attention for picking up a couple of scalps which included Sourav Ganguly. Skipper Wasim Akram got the key wicket of dangerous VVS Laxman.
Anil Kumble's heroics helped India defeat Pakistan in Delhi Test in 1999
Replying to India’s moderate total, Pakistan failed to counter India’s spin attack as Kumble along with Harbhajan Singh bundled out the arch-rivals on a score of 172 runs. Both bowlers claimed seven wickets together to help their team have a command over the contest. In the second innings, Ramesh (96 off 227) along with Sourav Ganguly (62 off 127) put up magnificent batting efforts and helped India rack up 339 runs.
Chasing a humongous target of 420, the visitors got a positive start due to the belligerence of their openers Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi, however, the latter surrendered to the leggie which led to Pakistan’s collapse in the innings. Hunting Wasim Akram, Kumble wrote history by taking 10 wickets in a Test innings. The 54-year-old’s spectacular feat is still untouched by any Indian bowler until today. England off-spinner Jim Laker is the only bowler along with former India bowler to achieve this Test feat, bagging 10 wickets in second innings of the 1956 Test match played at Old Trafford.
In 2021, Aijaz Patel also broke into the list after scalping 10 wickets in the first innings of the Test played between India and New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. His efforts came in a losing cause as the Kiwi side lost the game by 372 runs.
