Happy Birthday Anil Kumble: Five Unforgettable Bowling Spells by the Legendary Leg Spinner
Kumble made his international debut in April 1990 and served the Indian cricket team for almost two decades. His tally of 956 international wickets is still the highest for any Indian bowler. The leg-spinner has scalped a whooping 619 wickets in 132 Tests which are third-highest for any bowler.
Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble celebrates his 49th birthday on Thursday. Born on October 17, 1970, the leg-spinner is one of the best bowlers to have graced the gentlemen's game. Hailing from Karnataka, the former was a nightmare for the opposition as he has tormented many prominent batting line-ups in his illustrious career. Unlike other great spinners like Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumble was not a huge turner of ball but relied on his tight line and length to get the better of batsmen. Along with his phenomenal bowling skills, Kumble was a great leader too as the latter had a short but successful stint as the Indian captain. Anil Kumble Replaces Mike Hesson As New Head Coach of Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020.
Kumble made his international debut in April 1990 and served the Indian cricket team for almost two decades. His tally of 956 international wickets is still the highest for any Indian bowler. The leg-spinner has scalped a whooping 619 wickets in 132 Tests which are third-highest for any bowler. In ODIs, Kumble has 337 wickets from 271 outings and is tenth in the list of all-time leading wicket-takers in the format. These records speak volumes of Kumble's capability with the ball and every Indian bowler aims to replicate his heroics in international cricket. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Anil Kumble's 49th birthday, let's look at some astounding spells by the Indian great. Anil Kumble Posts Adorable Pic With Daughter Aaruni While Shopping in London.
4/ 75 & 10/74 Against Pakistan in Delhi
The second Test of Pakistan's 1999 Tour of India witnessed one of the greatest bowling performances of all time. In Pakistan's first innings, Kumble displayed his skills and took four crucial wickets. However, the last innings of the match saw a breathtaking bowling spell by the leg-spinner who took all the 10 wickets. Kumble became the second bowler to achieve this feat after England's Jim Laker. Kumble's monumental performance guided India to a 212-run victory.
6/12 Against West Indies in Kolkata
In the final of the 1993 Hero Cup, Kumble produced a great performance and spun his web around the West Indies batsman. Defending a small total of 225, Kumble led the Indian bowling attack and the opposition were left awestruck. Kumble took six wickets in the clash as West Indies were bundled out for 123 runs and the Men in Blue emerged victorious by 102 runs.
4/69 & 7/59 Against Sri Lanka in Lucknow
Another Kumble's brilliance came in the first Test of Sri Lanka's 1994 Tour of India. The hosts 511 in the first innings of the match and the pitch seemed batting-friendly. However, Kumble went through the Lankan batting line-up and took four wickets in the second innings. Sri Lanka could manage mere 218 runs and were enforced a follow-up. In the last innings, Kumble added seven more wickets to his tally and India won the match by an innings and 119 runs.
4/63 and 5/67 Against Australia in Delhi
Australia became a victim of Kumble's sheer masterclass in the lone Test of Australia's 1996-97 Tour of India. Batting first, the visitors were dismantled by the leg-spinner's four-wicket haul and could muster only 182 runs. Kumble got more lethal in Australia's second innings and sent seven Australian batsmen to the pavilion. The clinical bowling performance proved to be crucial as the hosts won the match by seven wickets.
4/25 Against South Africa in Mumbai
The leg-spinner was at his premium best in the final of 1996 Titan up. The Proteas restricted India to just 220 runs in the first innings and looked all set to lift the title. However, Kumble had some other ideas as he produced a sensational bowling spell. The spinner took wickets at regular intervals and also dried up the run-flow. The performance proved to be Match defining as the visitors were packed for 185 runs and India won the match by 35 runs.
After denting many esteemed batting line-ups, the legendary leg-spinner brought curtains to his remarkable career in October 2008. Post-retirement, Kumble became a coach and has mentored Indian Premier League (IPL) teams like Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kumble also had a brief stint as the Indian head coach in 2016-17. Recently, the latter is named the head coach of Kings XI Punjab for IPL 20202 and will aim to guide the side to their maiden tournament title.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 17, 2019 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).