75 years of independence, 75 iconic moments from Indian sports: No 55 - February 7, 1999:Anil Kumble’s historic 10-wicket haul against Pakistan

India will complete 75 years of Independence this year. Here is a series acknowledging 75 great sporting achievements by Indian athletes.

On February 7, 1999 Anil Kumble claimed a 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in the second innings of a Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

India will complete 75 years of Independence this year. Here is a series acknowledging 75 great sporting achievements by Indian athletes.  Sportstar will present one iconic sporting achievement each day, leading up to August 15, 2022.

February 7, 1999:Anil Kumble’s historic 10-wicket haul against Pakistan

On February 7, 1999 Indian spin legend Anil Kumble claimed a 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in the second innings of a Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, New Delhi.

He became the second cricketer, first from India, to achieve the feat after England off-spinner Jim Laker (10/53). Kumble’s feat helped India win the Test match by 212 runs.

Pakistan was set a target of 420 in the second innings and then, began the magic.

“I wanted to bowl a bit flatter at him, so that the wicket could do the rest. The ball was keeping low and Afridi nicked it,” said Kumble. Nayan Mongia, the then wicketkeeper who caught the maverick batter, added, “It was a quicker one and Afridi went for a drive. He got an outer edge and I was glad to accept the offering.”

“Ijaz is always known to me as a leg-before candidate. I wanted to pitch right up to him at yorker length and hit his toes and that’s all I tried,” he recalled. Mongia, added, “It was a good yorker and Ijaz played it with his pads and was out leg-before.”

“He doesn’t put his right foot up and on these wickets, where the ball is keeping low, if you are hit on your pads with the ball in line, you will be plumb. His bat was inside and I don’t think he was looking to play that ball,” analysed the legend. Mongia called the delivery, “a fast, flat delivery pitched short and right on the stumps.”

“It was a slower leg-break which kicked off the length and went to Sourav Ganguly, who took a good catch,” he added. Mongia threw light on Moin’s feet movement. “He was bowling quicker deliveries and Moin doesn’t stretch too much. There was a patch Anil was getting bounce from and he pitched it right there.”

“I bowled round the stumps to him the whole innings. I also missed a caught-and-bowled chance. I changed to over the stumps because I thought I’ll get more body into the action with a bit of bounce. The leg-break I bowled to him kicked a bit more than expected, it touched his gloves and went to short-leg,” Kumble recalled. Mongia: “When Anil bowled leg-spin, it was difficult for the left-hander.”

“He had this hamstring problem and his feet were not as mobile. I don’t think he expected the ball to skid. The flipper bounced a little more and he was trying to pull, which was a big bonus,” added Kumble. “Normally, only a batsman not from the sub-continent will go for a cut or a pull on such a delivery. He went for a mid-wicket pull and was bowled,” Mongia summed it up.

“I bowled a leg-break, like I did to Moin. It turned, bounced and went to Rahul Dravid at gully,” he said. According to Mongia, Mushtaq had been handling Kumble well till, “he tried leg-spin again.”

“I just wanted to pitch a yorker-length delivery right up to the stumps and he was trapped,” he said. Mongia knew the spinner’s variations and added, “His pace varies and this was, once again, a fast yorker.”

“I just bowled a leg-break hoping he would nick it, get bowled or even take a top edge to square leg. So, it just happened,” said Kumble on his 10th victim, who was also the then skipper of Pakistan. “Thanks to Srinath (Javagal) who bowled wide balls outside the off-stump. Waqar Younis tried his best to get out but he missed. We all were hoping Srinath wouldn’t get the wicket,” Mongia fondly remembers.

(This article was first published as a photo story on the Sportstar website)