Anil Kumble's 10/74 Explained: The Only Second Bowler to Take All 10 in a Test Innings
What happened when Anil Kumble took all 10 Pakistan wickets in one innings at Delhi 1999 — only the second time in Test history after Jim Laker's 10/53 (1956), the broken jaw he bowled through, each of the 10 dismissals, and why leg-spin bowling at that level of control is extraordinarily difficult.
On 7 February 1999, Anil Kumble (India's leg-spin bowler) took all 10 wickets in Pakistan's second innings at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi — the second and most recent time in Test history that a bowler has dismissed all 10 opposition batsmen in a single innings. The first was Jim Laker's 10/53 for England vs Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 — 43 years earlier. Kumble's final figures were 10/74 from 26.3 overs. The match ended India winning by 212 runs; the series was drawn 1-1. Kumble bowled through a broken jaw — sustained from a Shoaib Akhtar delivery in India's second innings — while wearing protective strapping around his head.
The 10 Dismissals: How Each Wicket Fell
Pakistan's second innings (target: 420): Saeed Anwar caught slip 20 (Kumble 1); Shahid Afridi lbw 41 (Kumble 2); Ijaz Ahmed caught 1 (Kumble 3); Mohammad Yousuf lbw 0 (Kumble 4); Inzamam-ul-Haq lbw 4 (Kumble 5); Salim Malik bowled 0 (Kumble 6); Wasim Akram lbw 0 (Kumble 7); Saqlain Mushtaq caught 0 (Kumble 8); Waqar Younis caught 0 (Kumble 9); Mushtaq Ahmed caught 0 (Kumble 10). The last seven wickets were taken for 9 runs — Pakistan collapsed from 128/3 to 207 all out. Venkatesh Prasad bowled from the other end throughout Kumble's spell, taking 0 wickets (intentionally or otherwise not cutting into the Kumble sequence). The dismissal of Salim Malik bowled was the ball that tied the record — at that point it was publicly confirmed Kumble could take all 10.
Bowling Through a Broken Jaw
During India's second innings, Kumble came to bat and was struck on the jaw by a Shoaib Akhtar delivery. He retired hurt and received hospital treatment — a broken jaw requiring his mouth and jaw to be strapped. He returned to bowl in Pakistan's second innings with the jaw strapping visible. He could not speak clearly during the match and communicated through gestures. The decision to bowl through a broken jaw rather than rest is considered one of cricket's most celebrated instances of physical courage — the severity of the injury and Kumble's output (26+ overs, 10 wickets) in that state has become legendary within Indian cricket culture.
Kumble's Career Context
Anil Kumble (born 1970, Bangalore) is India's highest Test wicket-taker — 619 wickets from 132 Tests at 29.65, retiring in 2008. He was India's frontline leg-spinner from 1990 to 2008, notable for generating more pace than typical leg-spin (often 75-85 km/h — faster than most leg-spinners) and for exceptional accuracy. Where Shane Warne (Australia, same era) generated prodigious turn and relied on drift and deviation, Kumble's primary weapon was accuracy and pace-through-the-air — many of his wickets came through batsmen misjudging pace rather than excessive turn. His career tally of 619 is the third-highest in Test history behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). The 10/74 is considered the defining performance of Kumble's career, though his sustained excellence across 18 years is equally notable.
Frequently asked questions
Who has taken all 10 wickets in a Test innings?
Only two bowlers in Test cricket history: Jim Laker (England) — 10/53 vs Australia at Old Trafford, 1956; and Anil Kumble (India) — 10/74 vs Pakistan at Delhi, 1999. Laker also took 9 wickets in Australia's first innings in that same match (19 wickets in the match total — another unbroken Test record). No other bowler has taken all 10 wickets in a Test innings in the 26+ years since Kumble's performance.
How did Kumble bowl with a broken jaw?
Anil Kumble sustained a broken jaw (hairline fracture) from a Shoaib Akhtar delivery while batting in India's second innings. After hospital treatment, he returned to bowl in Pakistan's second innings with his jaw strapped in bandaging visible around his face and head. He could not speak clearly and communicated through gestures during the spell. He bowled 26.3 overs — a full sustained spell — taking all 10 wickets. The physical courage involved is considered one of cricket's defining examples of playing through injury.
What are Anil Kumble's career Test wicket totals?
619 Test wickets from 132 Tests at an average of 29.65 — India's all-time highest Test wicket-taker. He is third in the all-time Test wicket list behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Shane Warne (708 wickets). He took 35 five-wicket hauls in Tests. After retirement in 2008, he became India's head coach from 2016-2017.