MADRAS, 15 October 2004 — India’s spin king Anil Kumble grabbed seven wickets for 25 runs to skittle world champions Australia for 235 in a dramatic start to the second cricket Test here yesterday.
India replied with 28-1 in 13 tense overs before close of play as Shane Warne removed new opener Yuvraj Singh to draw level with Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan’s world record of 532 wickets.
The leg-spinner, who had Yuvraj caught behind for eight, will return today confident of claiming the mantle of Test cricket’s leading bowler on a wicket affording both bounce and turn. Virender Sehwag was unbeaten on 20, while nightwatchman Irfan Pathan had yet to score. Kumble’s spin twin Harbhajan Singh chipped in with two wickets as Australia collapsed after a first wicket stand of 136 to lose their last eight wickets for 46 runs.
Australian captain Adam Gilchrist’s delight at winning his second consecutive toss was short-lived as Kumble ripped through the batting either side of tea. The leg-spinner finished with 7-48, his 25th five-wicket haul in 86 Tests which took his career tally to 409 wickets.
The 33-year-old had joined the exclusive 400-wicket club in the first Test at Bangalore last week which India lost by 217 runs.
Openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer gave the Australians a flying start by going to lunch at 111-0, their 12th century stand in 62 innings. But the Indians, backed by some 27,000 cheering home fans at the Chepauk, fought back strongly through Kumble and off-spinner Harbhajan.
Harbhajan struck in the ninth over after lunch when Hayden miscued a lofted drive and was caught at mid-off by Venkatsai Laxman.
Hayden made 58 including six fours and two sixes. Langer fell two balls later for 71, edging a low catch to Rahul Dravid in the slips.
Langer’s wicket was Harbhajan’s 48th wicket in seven Tests against the Australians and followed his 11-wicket haul in the Bangalore Test.
Simon Katich and Damien Martyn added 53 for the third wicket before Kumble began the destruction in the last over before tea by having Martyn caught at short-leg for 26.
Kumble returned after the break to have Darren Lehmann snapped up behind the wickets by Parthiv Patel for a duck.
Michael Clarke, who made 151 on debut in Bangalore, managed only five when he was trapped leg-before by a trademark Kumble flipper. Gilchrist, another first Test centurion, ballooned a catch to short-leg where Yuvraj ran back and dived to hold a sharp chance.
The Australian captain made only three.
Warne then tapped back a return catch to Kumble, while Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz were caught close to the wicket to make Australia 228-9. Last man Glenn McGrath was run out, leaving Katich unbeaten on 36.
The tourists took the field wearing black arm-bands in memory of legendary Australian all-rounder Keith Miller who died in Sydney on Monday aged 84.
Both teams observed a minute’s silence before the match to mourn one of cricket’s most flamboyant all-rounders. India left out opener Akash Chopra from the side that lost at Bangalore and brought in middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif for his first Test since 2001.
