Earlier on the tour the three-Test series ended 1-1.
In the second Test at Mohali, on day three, tailender Steve Harmison
became the record 500th wicket for leg-spin ace Anil Kumble.
Kumble has been a proven match-winner for India for over a decade,
but is still heavily criticised for not being a big spinner of
the ball, by critics who I would like to believe know little if
anything about his style of leg-spin bowling.
The very fit-looking, handsome 35-year-old became only the fifth
bowler in 129 years of Test cricket to achieve the 500-wicket
milestone: only Shane Warne; Muttiah Muralitharan; Glenn Mc Grath
and Courtney Walsh previously attained the magical figure and
more.
Throughout his career, the hallmark of Anil Kumble has been his
simplicity.
The Karnataka bowler has over the past 16 years confounded the
critics by the minimal percentage of turn he produces, with unerring
accuracy to become India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests
and the architect of their home record for years.
Kumble is also the highest wicket-taker for India in One Day Internationals
with 328 scalps.
Recently, Indian cricket coach Greg Chappell said: “He (Kumble)
is one of the great bowlers of the modern era; he is surprisingly
very under-rated but is a great competitor.”
As one of 41 cricketers, as I write, to appear in 100 or more
Tests, one has only to look at his bowling record to see what
a grand bowler he is: 33,600 deliveries to his name, only Warne
and Muralitharan have bowled more.
Having switched from pace to spin as a youngster due to his jerky
bowling action -- Kumble’s art has been all about setting
up world batsmen with subtle variation and mastery on crumbling
pitches.
The softly-spoken Kumble made his Test debut at age 19 in England
in 1990.
He has taken 105 cheap wickets for English county side North-amptonshire
in 1995 and is nicknamed “King Kumble”.
The pinnacle of his great Test career, at least to me, was reached
in 1999, when he became only the second bowler in Test match history
to claim all 10 wickets in an innings, emulating late, great England
off-spinner Jim Laker.
And although he has had his fair share of injuries and surgeries,
including getting Brian Lara out after suffering a broken jaw
in 2002, Kumble has not lost any of his venom.
He silenced world critics by claiming 24 wickets in three Tests
(average 29.58) in Australia during the 1-1 drawn four-match contest
of 2003/04.
Given his current form and fitness level, I would not rule him
out attaining 600 wickets before he quits Test cricket.
The following table shows India’s 15 highest wicket-takers
encompassing 1932 to 2006.
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