Jumbo Performances - Top 10 Test bowling performances of Anil Kumble

# 4: 5/84 vs Australia, Melbourne, 2007

Anil Kumble vs Australia, 2007

In only the second instance in the last 70 years of a spinner taking 5 wickets on the first day of a Melbourne Test, Kumble spun a web around the Australian bastmen with his googlies and leg breaks.

As had been the case for Kumble throughout his career, the Indian quicks failed to make any breakthroughs on a pitch conducive to fast bowling. Australia motored along to 135 for the first wicket, when Kumble struck with a fizzing googly past Phil Jaques. The dismissals of Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist were beautifully planned ones, especially Gilchrist who was fooled by a googly beyond his reach.

Kumble controlled the Aussie run flow throughout the day and struck vital blows all along to put India in a position of superiority at the end of the first day. As usual again on foreign soil, the Indian batsmen failed to take advantage of that on the second day and India lost the Test match.