Kumble, who made his debut against England in 1990, took his 100th wicket in his 21st Test, 200th in the 47th, 300th in the 66th and now the 400th in his 85th Test.
We present a detailed look at the master leg-spinner's career stats.
Kumble's bunnies
Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) | 7 times |
Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka) | 7 times |
Andrew Hudson (South Africa) | 7 times |
Hansie Cronje (South Africa) | 7 times |
Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 6 times |
Adam Parore (New Zealand) | 5 times |
Matt Horne (New Zealand) | 5 times |
Hashan Tillekeratne (Sri Lanka) | 5 times |
Carl Hooper (West Indies) | 5 times |
Jonty Rhodes (South Africa) | 5 times |
Kumble in each series
Opponent | Season | Tests | Balls | Runs | Wkts | Ave | Best | 5WI | 10WM | SR | ER |
England* | 1990 | 1 | 360 | 170 | 3 | 56.67 | 3-105 | - | - | 120.00 | 47.22 |
Zimbabwe* | 1992-93 | 1 | 266 | 94 | 3 | 31.33 | 3-79 | - | - | 88.67 | 35.34 |
South Africa* | 1992-93 | 4 | 1527 | 467 | 18 | 25.94 | 6-53 | 1 | - | 84.83 | 30.58 |
England | 1992-93 | 3 | 1086 | 416 | 21 | 19.81 | 6-64 | 1 | - | 51.71 | 38.31 |
Zimbabwe | 1992-93 | 1 | 491 | 160 | 8 | 20.00 | 5-70 | 1 | - | 61.38 | 32.59 |
Sri Lanka* | 1993-94 | 3 | 843 | 375 | 13 | 28.85 | 5-87 | 1 | - | 64.85 | 44.48 |
Sri Lanka | 1993-94 | 3 | 819 | 317 | 18 | 17.61 | 7-59 | 1 | 1 | 45.50 | 38.71 |
New Zealand* | 1993-94 | 1 | 300 | 102 | 2 | 51.00 | 1-34 | - | - | 150.00 | 34.00 |
West Indies | 1994-95 | 3 | 875 | 409 | 13 | 31.46 | 4-90 | - | - | 67.31 | 46.74 |
New Zealand | 1995-96 | 3 | 434 | 152 | 10 | 15.20 | 5-81 | 1 | - | 43.40 | 35.02 |
England* | 1996 | 3 | 882 | 334 | 5 | 66.80 | 3-90 | - | - | 176.40 | 37.87 |
Australia | 1996-97 | 1 | 390 | 130 | 9 | 14.44 | 5-67 | 1 | - | 43.33 | 33.33 |
South Africa | 1996-97 | 3 | 877 | 387 | 13 | 29.77 | 4-71 | - | - | 67.46 | 44.13 |
South Africa* | 1996-97 | 3 | 932 | 384 | 8 | 48.00 | 3-40 | - | - | 116.50 | 41.20 |
West Indies* | 1996-97 | 5 | 1204 | 576 | 19 | 30.32 | 5-104 | 2 | - | 63.37 | 47.84 |
Sri Lanka* | 1997-98 | 2 | 814 | 430 | 5 | 86.00 | 3-156 | - | - | 162.80 | 52.83 |
Sri Lanka | 1997-98 | 3 | 732 | 279 | 6 | 46.50 | 3-56 | - | - | 122.00 | 38.11 |
Australia | 1997-98 | 3 | 1146 | 416 | 23 | 18.09 | 6-98 | 2 | - | 49.83 | 36.30 |
Zimbabwe* | 1998-99 | 1 | 322 | 129 | 7 | 18.43 | 4-87 | - | - | 46.00 | 40.06 |
New Zealand* | 1998-99 | 2 | 849 | 341 | 9 | 37.89 | 4-83 | - | - | 94.33 | 40.16 |
Pakistan | 1998-99 | 3 | 865 | 451 | 22 | 20.50 | 10-74 | 2 | 1 | 39.32 | 52.14 |
Sri Lanka* | 1998-99 | 1 | 325 | 134 | 4 | 33.50 | 4-134 | - | - | 81.25 | 41.23 |
New Zealand | 1999-00 | 3 | 1186 | 364 | 20 | 18.20 | 6-67 | 2 | 1 | 59.30 | 30.69 |
Australia* | 1999-00 | 3 | 878 | 450 | 5 | 90.00 | 2-72 | - | - | 175.60 | 51.25 |
South Africa | 1999-00 | 2 | 712 | 261 | 12 | 21.75 | 6-143 | 1 | - | 59.33 | 36.66 |
South Africa* | 2001-02 | 2 | 552 | 244 | 5 | 48.80 | 3-132 | - | - | 110.40 | 44.20 |
England | 2001-02 | 3 | 997 | 440 | 19 | 23.16 | 7-115 | 2 | 1 | 52.47 | 44.13 |
Zimbabwe | 2001-02 | 2 | 806 | 291 | 16 | 18.19 | 5-63 | 1 | - | 50.38 | 36.10 |
West Indies* | 2001-02 | 2 | 355 | 174 | 3 | 58.00 | 2-145 | - | - | 118.33 | 49.01 |
England* | 2002 | 3 | 1045 | 504 | 14 | 36.00 | 4-66 | - | - | 74.64 | 48.23 |
West Indies | 2002-03 | 3 | 920 | 387 | 16 | 24.19 | 5-30 | 1 | - | 57.50 | 42.07 |
New Zealand | 2003-04 | 2 | 841 | 334 | 9 | 37.11 | 4-95 | - | - | 93.44 | 39.71 |
Australia* | 2003-04 | 3 | 1237 | 710 | 24 | 29.58 | 8-141 | 3 | 1 | 51.54 | 57.40 |
Pakistan* | 2003-04 | 3 | 783 | 389 | 15 | 25.93 | 6-72 | 1 | - | 52.20 | 49.68 |
Australia | 2004-05 | 1 | 144 | 86 | 3 | 28.66 | 3-82 | - | - | 48.00 | 59.72 |
TOTAL | 85 | 26795 | 11287 | 400 | 28.22 | 10-74 | 24 | 5 | 66.99 | 42.12 |
Kumble's wickets -batting position wise
Openers | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 |
70 | 48 | 43 | 34 | 41 | 36 | 39 | 39 | 31 | 19 |
Kumble's wickets - Right handed vis-a-vis Left handed
RHB | LHB |
301 | 99 |
75.25% | 24.75% |
Kumble's performance result-wise
Tests | Balls | Runs | Wkts | Best | 5WI | 10WM | Ave | SR | ER | |
in matches won by India | 26 | 8578 | 3404 | 189 | 10-74 | 14 | 3 | 18.01 | 45.39 | 39.68 |
in matches lost by India | 21 | 6465 | 3070 | 79 | 6-70 | 4 | 0 | 38.86 | 81.84 | 47.49 |
in drawn matches | 37 | 11608 | 4727 | 129 | 8-141 | 6 | 2 | 36.64 | 89.98 | 40.72 |
TOTAL | 84 | 26651 | 11201 | 397 | 10-74 | 24 | 5 | 28.21 | 67.13 | 42.03 |
Kumble under different captains
Captain | Tests | Balls | Runs | Wkts | Ave | Best | 5WI | 10WM | SR | ER |
Mohammad Azharuddin | 36 | 11390 | 4467 | 179 | 24.96 | 10-74 | 10 | 2 | 63.63 | 39.22 |
Sachin Tendulkar | 25 | 7725 | 3261 | 97 | 33.62 | 6-67 | 6 | 1 | 79.64 | 42.21 |
Sourav Ganguly | 21 | 6602 | 3060 | 111 | 27.56 | 8-141 | 7 | 2 | 59.47 | 46.35 |
Rahul Dravid | 3 | 1078 | 499 | 13 | 38.38 | 6-72 | 1 | 0 | 82.92 | 46.29 |
TOTAL | 85 | 26795 | 11287 | 400 | 28.22 | 10-74 | 24 | 5 | 66.99 | 42.12 |
A comparative study of 400-wicket takers
Bowler | For | Test # | Yrs | Days | Reached on |
M Muralitharan | SL | 72 | 29 | 273 | 15 Jan 2002 |
Richard Hadlee | NZ | 80 | 38 | 217 | 05 Feb 1990 |
Anil Kumble | Ind | 85 | 33 | 355 | 06 Oct 2004 |
Glenn McGrath | Aus | 87 | 32 | 255 | 22 Oct 2002 |
Shane Warne | Aus | 92 | 31 | 348 | 27 Aug 2001 |
Wasim Akram | Pak | 96 | 34 | 14 | 17 Jun 2000 |
Curtly Ambrose | WI | 97 | 36 | 332 | 18 Aug 2000 |
Courtney Walsh | WI | 107 | 36 | 129 | 08 Mar 1999 |
Kapil Dev | Ind | 115 | 33 | 30 | 05 Feb 1992 |
Highlights of Kumble's Career
- Only bowler after Englishman Jim Laker to take all 10wickets in an innings.
- Has taken five wickets in an innings against eight different countries (he is yet to play a Test against Bangladesh). Only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan has taken a five-for against all other Test-playing nations.
- Shares the world record for most caught and bowled dismissals with Murali.
- Aggregate of 238 wickets at home is the highest by any bowler other than Murali, who has 342.
- His 24 five-wicket innings hauls and five ten-wicket match hauls are the most by an Indian bowler.
- His 189 wickets are the most by an Indian bowler in Tests 'won' by India. No one else has taken even 100!
- 24.75 per cent of his victims were left-handed batsmen, the second highest percentage for a spinner with at least 200 career wickets after Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq.
- Took at least five wickets in a match in eight consecutive matches from 1992-93 to 1993-94 -- the most for India.
- Took his 100th, 300th, and 400th wickets on his home ground.
- Took at least a wicket in each of his first 68 Tests, apart from three in which he did not bowl.
- Quickest Indian to take 50, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 Test wickets. Missed 100 Test mark by just one Test to Erapally Prasanna, who also bagged his 150th wicket in his 34th Test, like Kumble.