Saturday, February 2, 2008

Perfect Ten.


Cricket is said to be a teams game and it happens very rarely that a lone man wins matches on his sheer brilliance.
On the 7th of feb, 1999 one man won India a test single-handedly. Anil Kumble against arch rivals Pakistan became the second man to take all ten wickets in an innings.
Pakistan in its second innings at the Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi fell like nine pins to Kumble's guile. The karnataka spinner who is known for his aggression and fighting spirit, took the talented pakistani batsmen heads on and like a warrior annihilated the entire batting order in a matter of few hours ending up with beautiful figures of 10 for 74.
Chasing a mammoth 420 Pakistani openers Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi gave them a solid start but then Kumble got into his act, demolishing the batting order which included Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmad, Salim Malik and Mohammed Yousuf. From 101 for no loss they were 128 for 6. Pakistani showed some resistance for while when they added 58 runs for the seventh wicket. I guees, they were playing for pride.
But Kumble son polished off their tail in a clinical fashion to equal Jim Laker's feat after 42 years and draw level in the two match series.
What's the harm in electing such a man to be the captain of India, at 37.

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