New Delhi: Head coach of Indian cricket team Anil Kumble, is regarded widely as the best leg-spinner to have played for the country. On October 17th, 2016 Kumble turned 46-years-old.
Jumbo's achievements become all the more credible considering no bowler in the history of Indian cricket has won more Test matches than him.
Here are 10 most unknown facts about this legendary spinner.
1- Though Anil graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, he didn't let that engineering part become an obstacle and pursued his career in cricket.
2- Kumble is India’s most successful spinner, but very few know that 'Jumbo' initially began his career as a medium pacer.
3- On October 6th, 2004 Anil became the third spinner in the history of Test cricket to take 400 wickets after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. Until then, Kapil Dev was the only Indian bowler to achive this feat. Kumble took 30 fewer Test matches than Kapil to reach this landmark.
4- Kumble has bowled 40,850 balls in his entire Test career, which is second highest after Muttiah Muralitharan's 44,039 balls.
5- On 10th August 2007, Kumble scored his maiden century and it took him 118 Tests to get there, replacing the then record holder Chaminda Vaas who took 96 Tests.
6- On May 12th, 2002 he bowled with a broken jaw which was heavily taped against West Indies. In the innings, he even dismissed Brian Lara.
7- Kumble is the only Indian bowler who has taken 5 wickets in a test innings on more than 30 occasions.
8- Kumble's ten-wicket haul was made possible by his teammate Javagal Srinath, who bowled outside the off stump to avoid taking the final wicket. This was comfirmed by Indian opener Sadagoppan Ramesh as Srinath cautioned him not to try and take any catch off his own bowling so that Kumble could record his feat.
9- On February 1999, Kumble took 10 wickets for 74 runs in an innings against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla. Jim Laker of England in 1956 is the only other bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings.
10- Anil Kumble also holds the record for most wickets in a calendar year by an Indian in ODIs, after he took 61 wickets in 1996. It is also the third-highest total by a bowler of any nationality.
