IND v ENG 2021: Gautam Gambhir hails Anil Kumble as India's greatest match-winner ever

Anil Kumble is the highest wicket-taker for India in both Tests (619) and ODIs (337).

By Ankitjit Singh - 07 Feb, 2021

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir took to his Twitter handle and trumpeted former Indian leg-spinner, Anil Kumble, on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of Kumble’s ten wickets in a single Test innings.

Anil Kumble is arguably the best leg-spinner India has ever produced in Test cricket. The former is the highest wicket-taker for India in the longest format of the game, with 619 scalps to his name.

However, on this day exactly 22 years ago bowling great Anil Kumble created history and became the second bowler after England's Jim Laker to take all ten wickets in a single Test innings.

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Kumble, also known as ‘Jumbo’, achieved the feat against arch-rivals Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi during the second Test-match of the two-Test series. 

Chasing a target of 420 runs in the match, visitors got off to a steady start as openers Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar put on 101 runs for the first wicket.

However, it was Kumble’s show after that who came into the attack and ran through the Pakistani batting line-up, reducing them to 128/6 in no time and took wickets at regular intervals and then got his 10th scalp in the 61st over after dismissing Wasim Akram.

This effort enabled India to register a win by 212 runs and finished with bowling figures of 10-74 from 26.3 overs.

The 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup-winning former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir while replying to a video shared by BCCI that showed the highlights of Kumble’s historic feat and called him the greatest match-winner. 

"The greatest match-winner India ever had! Take a bow, legend! @anilkumble1074." Gautam Gambhir tweeted. 

(ANI Inputs)

By Ankitjit Singh - 07 Feb, 2021

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