Instances of an Indian captain scalping a Test fifer in the 21st century
As far as Indian cricket is concerned, it has been majorly dominated by batters taking on the mantle of captaincy, especially in the 21st century and even otherwise. There have been only a couple of specialist bowlers who have led the red-ball side since 2001 – Anil Kumble and Jasprit Bumrah.
While Kumble led the side as a full-time skipper in 14 of India’s Tests before retiring, Bumrah has only captained India twice, as of November 2024. Both these stalwarts did register respective five-wicket hauls when they led the team. Below is a brief overview of how the three Tests panned out in which Kumble and Bumrah achieved the esteemed feat.
Anil Kumble vs Pakistan (Third Test, Pakistan tour of India 2007)
This was the final game of the series in 2007 between the Asian behemoths. Opting to bat first, India rode on a double-ton by Sourav Ganguly, a majestic 169 off the willow of Yuvraj Singh, and a splendid debut Test hundred by Irfan Pathan to end up with a gigantic 626 on the board. Subsequently, three 60-plus scores, an unbeaten 133 by Misbah-ul-Haq, and 76 extras powered Pakistan to 537.
Ganguly once again top-scored for India in the third innings, and with Dinesh Karthik getting dismissed after bringing up his half-century, India declared their innings. Chasing 374 post Tea on the final day of the game, it was anticipated that Pakistan would be resolute in defence and the game would end up as a draw. However, it was the local boy, Anil Kumble, who wreaked all sorts of chaos within the visitors’ dressing room by dismissing five of the seven batters to fall up until the conclusion of the session and game.
Anil Kumble vs Australia (First Test, India tour of Australia 2007-08)
The commencement of what would ultimately be remembered as an iconic series between the two powerhouses turned out to be a memorable Test for Kumble for personal reasons. Apart from Matthew Hayden, who plundered 124, it was Kumble’s shrewdness that kept the others at bay – picking up a second consecutive five-wicket haul as a skipper, this time coming away from home. Except for Sachin Tendulkar’s 62, no other batter crossed the 50-run mark. Kumble fought valiantly for his 27 and ended up as the team’s third-highest run-getter.
Having gained a bulky lead, Australia was already in the ascendancy. They further dominated via seven of their first eight batters scoring 35 or more, with Kumble accounting for the leading run-getters in Australia’s second innings, Phil Jaques and Michael Clarke. Chasing a mammoth target of 499, Rahul Dravid and Wasim Jaffer started steadily. However, after their departure, none of the other batters apart from VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly could stick along for a long time as India bowed out by 337 runs in the end.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Australia (First Test, India tour of Australia 2024-25)
This first Test of the tour Down Under turned out to be a memorable affair for stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah. The only point in the entire game where things looked like going downhill for India was their first innings, where apart from debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, no other Indian batter looked settled, as they were shot out for 150 within the first two sessions on Day 1. However, the Indian bowlers, spearheaded by Bumrah, gave it back to the Australian batters. The five wickets he picked up to skittle out the hosts were some of the best.
India’s second essay with the bat was contrastingly different from their first, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal putting on 201 for the first wicket. Jaiswal’s sublime 161 and Virat Kohli’s long-awaited 81st international ton put India in a commanding position before they opted to declare. Three quick Australian wickets towards the end of the third day’s play set the tone as India were the firm favourites from thereon. It was only a matter of time before Australia would be bowled out, and despite a brisk 89-run innings from Travis Head, Australia came nowhere close to the target; granting India a stunning victory by 295 runs.
