Former India spinner Anil Kumble, the highest Test wicket-taker for his country, always had the pressure to bring his A-game because of comparison with Australia's Shane Warne and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

Both, Australia's Warne and Sri Lanka's Muralitharan were skilled to pick wickets on any surface. Kumble also opened up about his friendship with Muralitharan and how he would congratulate him in advance before a milestone.

"It was very difficult to compare since these two guys could spin the ball on any surface. It became very very difficult for me, when they started comparing me with Warne or Murali," Anil Kumble told Pommie Mbangwa on an Instagram live session.

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"Murali, I would see him a lot more because India-Sri Lanka played very often. So it was always a congratulatory note coming for me from Murali after I pass on every milestone and Murali would be 30 wickets to the next one.

"I would congratulate him in advance saying Murali, another 30 wickets to go for your 500, congratulations. He would say no no no, this is a long way. I would say that's 3 Test matches for you," Kumble added.

Even though there was competition, Kumble always learned from his contemporaries like Warne and Muralitharan.

"We obviously shared a very good rapport amongst all of us (Warne, myself, Murali). It was really nice to see all of us do well for respective countries."