'I Will Not Get Out To Him'- Wasim Akram Reveals What He Told Waqar Younis Before Getting Dismissed By Anil Kumble

Legendary Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble holds the record for the most number of wickets in both Test matches [619] and One-day Internationals [337]. While these records may well be broken one day but if there is one record of Anil Kumble that is likely to stand the test of time, it has got to be his feat of ten wickets in a single innings.

The champion Indian leg-spinner achieved that miraculous feat during the second-Test of the historic series against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla [currently called the Arun Jaitley Stadium] in New Delhi back in 1999.

Wasim Akram, who happened to be the final victim of Kumble, recently recounted an incident prior to his dismissal in a video with Akash Chopra on the latter’s Youtube channel.

Akram revealed that while he did not have any intention of getting out to another bowler in order to deny Kumble the historic feat, he added that he had told Waqar Younis that he will not get out to the leg-spinner.

Also Read: Anil Kumble Urges People To Treat The Battle Against COVID-19 As The Second Innings Of A Test Match

Wasim Akram reveals his conversation with Waqar Younis before Anil Kumble claimed his 10th wicket

Akram said that he had asked Waqar to play his normal game against Kumble and go for shots against Javagal Srinath.

“No. This is against the sportsman’s spirit (desperately getting out another bowler). I said to Waqar Younis that you play Anil Kumble, I will not get out to him. As a captain, I told Waqar to play his normal game and go for shots against (Javagal) Srinath. The first ball Kumble bowled… inside edge…and I got caught. It’s a big day for India and Kumble. It was massive,” Wasim Akram said on Aakash Chopra’s youtube channel.

Chasing 420, Pakistan actually got off to a brilliant start with the openers putting up a 100-run-stand before Kumble took center stage. Kumble claimed his first wicket in the form of Shahid Afridi and within a space of 36.1 overs, went on to polish off the entire Pakistani line-up.

Kumble is only the second bowler in the history of the game to claim all ten wickets in a single innings. The first-ever bowler to achieve the feat was England’s Jim Laker, who claimed a barely believable 19 wickets in a single Test against Australia in 1956.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Narrates An Incident To Portray The Greatness Of Anil Kumble As The Indian Captain

Watch the video here: