On this day in 2004: Anil Kumble’s 5-wicket haul helps India defeat Australia
Anil Kumble is regarded as the greatest spinner the Indian cricket fraternity has seen so far. He is one of the members of the precious 600 Test wickets club. The club is shared by only four great bowlers around the world, with Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan leading the chart. Next in line is Australian legend Shane Warne and then Kumble. James Anderson is the latest entry in this club.
The expertise of Kumble in the spin section has pulled India out of trouble situations on numerous occasions. He was not a big turner of the ball but had his precision on bounce and accuracy to define the perfect line and length. During a Test match against Pakistan in 1999, he dismissed all the ten batsmen as they lost colour from their faces. By achieving the feat, he joined England’s Jim Laker as the only players to hit this achievement.
Talking of one more innings where his five-wicket haul led India to grab the match by 13 runs. It happened back in 2004 where India played the fourth Test against Australia in Mumbai. Batting first, the entire Indian team bundled up on meagre 104 runs, and nothing substantial came from anyone’s bat. Jason Gillespie was the bright spot in the Aussies bowling unit who bagged a four-wicket haul. When guests came to bat, they were all-out for 203 runs, all thanks to great Kumble.
The legendary spinner picked up a five-wicket haul by conceding just 90 runs in 19 overs. He was joined by the equally brilliant efforts of Murali Kartik, who clinched a four-wicket haul on the same occasion. He was even named as the player of the match as he took three wickets in the 2nd innings too. During the second innings, it was another veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh, who cracked a five-wicket haul.
The heroics of Kumble helped India to win the match by 13 runs against the guests. Talking of his glorious career, he has 619 Test wickets to his credit, the 3rd highest wicket-taker of all time.
