On this day, February 7 in 1999, Kumble produced the bowling performance of a lifetime to grab all 10 wickets in Test innings. As Kumble etched his name in the epoch of cricketing history by snapping up all 10 wickets in the second innings on a super Sunday, he became the only second bowler in world cricket after Jim Laker to achieve the feat.

After Pakistan pulled off a remarkable 12-run win in the previous game at Chennai who has visited India for a Test series for the first time since 1987, for India it was necessary that they make a comeback and led by Kumble’s fantastic performance they registered a massive 212-run win.

Anil Kumble achieved what only one other bowler has been able to in the history of the international cricket. Pakistan needed 420 runs to win. They started off well and reached the score of 101 with no loss of wickets. And, then Kumble came and brutally smashed the whole team single-handedly ending with bowling figures of 10/74.

Anil Kumble became the second bowler ever to take all 10 wickets in an innings back in 1999 at Delhi against Pakistan.

Apparently, Waqar Younis was planning to get run out so that Kumble could be denied the 10-wicket haul. Kumble had already snatched 9 wickets and was looking set for a 10th when Waqar Younis came in to bat. He joined Wasim Akram at the crease. Waqar then walked up to Akram and asked him whether either of them should get run out in order to play the spoilsport for the leggie.

Wasim Akram About Anil Kumble Achievement:

Six years after the astonishing achievement, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram opened up a can of worms by revealing something about how his teammate, Waqar Younis, almost sabotaged Kumble’s attempt to get the perfect ten. In a conversation with DNA in 2005, Wasim Akram confirmed the same as he quoted, “Kumble had got nine wickets and me and Waqar were batting in the crease. Waqar came to me and said ‘how about getting run out?’ so that Kumble does not get his 10th wicket.”

“I said ‘you can’t deny him the feat if he is destined for it. But I can assure you that I am not going to give my wicket to Kumble. But subsequently, it was me who gifted my wicket to Kumble,” added Wasim Akram.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag on Tuesday (Feb 7) thanked former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and hailed destiny for helping Anil Kumble grab his maiden ‘Perfect Ten’. “Kismat ke aage, all saazish fail. Well done Wasim bhai. What a day it was at the Kotla by Anil bhai,” tweeted the Nawab of Najafgarh. The statement roughly translates to ‘all ploy fail in front of destiny. Well done Wasim (Akram) bhai. What a day it was at the Kotla by Anil (Kumble) bhai’.

Kismat ke aage ,all saazish fail.
Well done Wasim bhai.
What a day it was at the Kotla by Anil bhai. pic.twitter.com/xDzMd39XOq

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 7, 2017

Anil Kumble 10 Wickets Record Against Pakistan:

Mohammad Azharuddin Help For Kumble:

The then Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin had apparently instructed pacer Javagal Srinath at the other end to bowl wide of the stumps so that he does not end up taking the final wicket. As a result, he was twice called for wides. But he persisted with his effort and the rest, as they say, is history, as Kumble dismissed Akram and helped India win the Test by 212 runs and level the two-match series 1-1.