'I can remember every wicket' – Anil Kumble reminisces historic 'All-Ten' against Pakistan, 20 years on

It is 20 years to the day India’s leading wicket-taker, Anil Kumble, etched his name in cricketing annals by becoming only the second man after England’s Jim Laker to claim all ten wickets in a Test innings; the occasion was only enhanced by the presence of arch-rivals Pakistan in the opposition camp in Delhi. India were playing their first Test series against Pakistan Test in 12 years. After the hosts lost the first Test in Chennai by the finest of margins (12 runs), the second Test at Feroz Shah Kotla, served the only hope for the home side to match their counterparts. [caption id=“attachment_4339873” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Anil Kumble became the only second bowler to take all 10 wickets in an innings to equal England’s Jim Laker’s world record for most wickets in an innings. Reuters[/caption] The historic figures of 10 for 74 form an integral part of cricketing lore and occupy a special place in the India-Pak rivalry. For the man, too, the landmark feat is memorable. Reminiscing his remarkable achievement, Kumble said all of those 10 wickets are still fresh in his memory, in an interview with CricketNext. “I can remember every wicket. The way it happened, it unfolded. I mean it is something that is very very special. So you don’t tend to forget that. If you do there are lots of people who are around it who will talk about the ten wickets,” the legendary leg-spinner said. Kumble took a perfect 10 in a spell of 18.2 overs for 37 runs in the second innings of the Test, capping India’s first victory over Pakistan in 23 Tests, dating back to 1979-80. India had set an improbable target of 420 for Pakistan on a deteriorating Feroz Shah Kotla surface. In reply, Pakistan openers Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar counter-attacked their way to a 100-run stand, before Kumble had the 19-year-old Afridi edging to wicket-keeper. The first wicket triggered a collapse and soon Pakistan imploded from 101/1 to 128/6. As much as Kumble’s 10 wickets are remembered, the contribution of other bowlers, especially that of his state teammate and longtime friend Javagal Srinath’s contribution of not picking a wicket is appreciated. With the result of the match was a mere formality, Srinath at the other end made sure he bowled wide of stumps, sometimes too wide with the umpire even calling out a couple, making the bowler bowl eight deliveries in an over. In doing so, Srinath ensured he didn’t dismiss Waqar Younis or Wasim Akram, Pakistan’s 10 and 11 batsmen. Calling Srinath’s over ’the worst’ he had bowled in Test cricket, Kumble said, “Sri (Srinath) bowled an 8 or 9-ball over because 2 or 3 of them were wides. There was one opportunity when Sadagoppan Ramesh went really hard to take a catch for Waqar and it fell away from him. I was probably destined, this was just sheer destiny that I got 10.”