Anil Kumble, ICC
Head of ICC Cricket Committee Anil Kumble (Photo- Getty)

Legendary Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble has congratulated champion English pacer James Anderson after the latter leapfrogged him to become the third-highest wicket-taker in Test match cricket.

Anderson had come into the Test match against India with 617 wickets against his name and it took him two consecutive deliveries on the second afternoon to draw level with Anil Kumble.

In what was yet another exhibition of seam and swing bowling, Anderson knocked over India’s No.3 and 4- Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli- within a span of two deliveries to claw England back in the game.

While Pujara nicked off to a delivery that came in at an angle, Virat Kohli, in an anticipation of Anderson bowling a nip-backer, poked at a delivery that held its line to give a regulation catch to Jos Buttler.

This was the first time since Manchester 2014 that James Anderson was able to dismiss Virat Kohli.

The champion seamer could have got his 620th wicket on the second afternoon itself when he induced an outside edge off KL Rahul’s bat but Dominic Sibley proceeded to shell it in the slip cordon.

 James Anderson, Anil Kumble
Virat Kohli, James Anderson. (Credits: Twitter)

Anderson created another chance 24 hours later on the third afternoon but this time Joe Root dropped KL Rahul at first slip.

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The master bowler eventually had his man as Rahul once again edges it behind the wicket and this Jos Buttler did not make any mistake.

He backed it up with yet another scalp in his very next over as Shardul Thakur edged it straight to the cordon where Joe Root did not make a mistake this time around.

Anderson is now behind the legendary duo of Shane Warne [708] and Muttiah Muralitharan [800] as far as most wickets by a bowler in Test history.

And, on a day when he leapfrogged Anil Kumble, the champion Indian cricketer took to his Twitter account to congratulate the veteran seamer on his stellar achievement.

”Congratulations @jimmy9 Fantastic to see a fast bowler get up there. #legend @ECB_cricket”- wrote Anil Kumble

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