The highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket, Anil Kumble, ran ruckus in the Pakistan dressing room during the 1999 Feroz Shah Kotla Test.
Kumble became only the second bowler, after England’s Jim Laker, to pick all ten wickets of the opposition in an innings.
With the dismissal of Saqlain Mushtaq, tail-ender Waqar Younis joined his captain Wasim Akram for the final wicket stand. By then, Kumble picked all-nine Pakistan wickets.
“Waqar came to me and said ‘How about getting run out?’ so that Kumble does not get his 10th wicket,” Wasim was quoted by DNA earlier.
During a conversation in 2005, Akram revealed about his chat with Younis where the latter suggested about getting themselves in a run-out to deny Kumble his perfect-ten.
Now, while speaking to Aakash Chopra, Akram was enquired about the conversation with Waqar. To which the ‘Sultan of Swing’ responded by denying any motive of resisting Kumble’s perfect-ten feat, owing to the spirit of the game.
Instead, Wasim asked Waqar to play his natural game and go for shots against Javagal Srinath, who was trying his best to assist Kumble.
Back in 2017, Younis defended himself by tweeting, “This never happened !! I think age is catching up with Wasim Bhai.”
“Get your facts right mate. And if we are going to go down the “age” road you know I’ll beat you in that game every time,” Younis slammed Akram. Later, Younis deleted the controversial tweet.
In VVS Laxman’s autobiography, the Hyderabad stalwart talked about the instance when the entire Indian team worked in tandem to help Kumble on achieving the unthinkable feat.
Recalling the incident, Laxman said it was the only time when Javagal Srinath bowled not to get a wicket.
“For the first time in his life, Javagal Srinath bowled not to take wickets. There was one moment of alarm when Sadagopan Ramesh ran back to try and hold on to a catch off his bowling that was met with the most unparliamentary words from the bowler himself!” penned down Laxman.
