🏏Anil Kumble

📖In detail

He rarely gave batsmen time or room to play their shots. He made his international debut in 1990, but was dropped after the tour of England and used the break to complete his engineering degree. Thirteen wickets for Rest of India in the 1992 Irani Trophy at Delhi brought him back for the tour of South Africa, and from then on, Indian bowling revolved around him.

His most famous feat came against Pakistan at Delhi in 1999, when he took all ten wickets in an innings, equalling Jim Laker's long-standing record. In December 2001 he took his 300th Test wicket on his home ground in Bengaluru, and in January 2008 he became the first Indian to reach 600 Test wickets.

A true fighter, he famously bowled with a broken jaw in the Antigua Test of 2002. When his career was being written off in 2003-04, he bowled superbly in Australia. He scored his first Test century in his 118th Test.

He became captain at 37, led India to a home series win over Pakistan, and on the 2007-08 tour of Australia played an important role in resolving the "Monkeygate" controversy at Sydney. He retired from international cricket in November 2008 after the Delhi Test against Australia.

In 132 Tests he scored 2,506 runs and took 619 wickets at 29.65, with 35 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket matches. He took 337 wickets in 271 ODIs.