February 7, 1996, marked a historic milestone in Indian cricket. Exactly 28 years ago on this date, Anil Kumble became the first Indian cricketer to claim 10 wickets in a single Test innings. Kumble achieved this remarkable feat during the second Test of a two-match series against Pakistan at New Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla, now renamed the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Kumble joined the elite ranks as only the second bowler to accomplish this feat, following England's Jim Laker, who achieved a 10-wicket haul against Australia at Old Trafford in Manchester in July 1956.
Heading into the New Delhi Test, India faced significant pressure after losing the first Test in Chennai by a narrow margin of 12 runs. However, under the leadership of Mohammad Azharuddin and his team, India managed to level the series 1-1, largely due to Kumble's extraordinary performance with the ball.
Beginning with Kumble's contribution, India gained a significant 80-run lead in their first innings. The leg-spinner claimed the wickets of Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Saqlain Mushtaq, finishing with impressive figures of 24.3 overs, 4 maidens, 75 runs, and 4 wickets.
Following that, Sadagopan Ramesh, Sourav Ganguly, and Javagal Srinath contributed scores of 96, 62, and 49 respectively, ensuring that India set Pakistan a challenging target of 420 runs to chase down.
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Anil Kumble unleashes hell at Kotla
Pakistan made a strong start to their run-chase as Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi combined for a partnership of 101 runs for the opening wicket, spanning 24.2 overs. Just when it appeared that Pakistan was gaining control, Kumble claimed the crucial wicket of Afridi, who scored 41 runs off 64 balls with seven fours.
Following Kumble's breakthrough, Pakistan's momentum stalled, and they quickly slumped to 128 for six within 11.5 overs. Anwar contributed 69 runs off 128 balls before Kumble dismissed him.
Saleem Malik and captain Wasim Akram attempted to stabilize Pakistan's innings with a partnership of 58 runs, but their endeavors proved insufficient for Pakistan to surpass the target.
Kumble concluded with impressive figures of 26.3 overs, nine maidens, 74 runs, and 10 wickets as Pakistan was dismissed for 207 runs in 60.3 overs.
Besides Laker and Kumble, Ajaz Patel of New Zealand also holds the distinction of claiming 10 wickets in a single Test innings. Patel achieved this milestone during the Black Caps' Test against India in December 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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