They played in contrasting conditions and different eras but Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble now holds a special place in the history of cricket with former English bowler Jim Laker. Kumble emulated Laker's historic feat of bagging all 10 wickets in a test innings when he returned figures of 10 for 74 in his country's 212-run defeat of Pakistan in the second test in New Delhi yesterday.
The result ensured that the series, the first between the two countries in India for 12 years, was shared, meaning honour is preserved for both sides in a tour that had been threatened by religious and political fanatics.
Kumble cleverly exploited the bounce on a dry, turning wicket to rival Laker's remarkable figures against Australia in Manchester in 1956 when the Englishman took all 10 wickets for 53 in the second innings for a remarkable match total of 19 for 90.
The wicket and the cricket world was very different at Old Trafford when right arm offbreaker Laker made history.
Those were the days when fans watched the game on flickering black and white television sets and anyone suggesting a cricketer could wear anything but white kit would have been laughed at. Jumpers were needed on that day when Laker - a modest Yorkshireman of few words who ironically went on to be a television commentator when he retired - took advantage of the wet pitch to achieve his feat.
"It was a peak performance in helpful conditions by a very great bowler, probably the greatest offspinner who ever lived," the respected cricket writer John Arlott wrote.
Both Kumble and Laker appear to have benefited from a little help from their fellow bowlers.
Laker's bowling partner Tony Lock beat the Australian bats just as often in the series but Laker's greater accuracy gained him more wickets. Lock even stifled an appeal late in the second innings, seeing history in the making for his team-mate.
Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin said he had asked paceman Javagal Srinath to bowl wide deliveries in the last stretch of the match so that Kumble could equal a record at the other end.
