Kumble spins India to victory

India v Pakistan
Second Test, Day 5
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Anil Kumble took 7-63, as India defeated Pakistan by 195 runs on the final day of the second Test at Eden Gardens, Calcutta. He finished with match figures of 10-161, being the second most influential element of the victory, after Rahul Dravid, who scored two centuries in the match, India’s first against Pakistan at the venue.

Resuming on the final day at 95-1, after losing Shahid Afridi, just before close of play yesterday, Pakistan looked to have an outside chance of pulling of what could have been a memorable victory. However, Kumble’s enigmatic bowling first up in the day, brought Pakistan to a situation where survival was the only option, contrary to what looked liked when Afridi was going full guns.

Pakistan were immediately put on the back foot when Kumble, with the very first ball of the day, puzzled Younis Khan of a sliding delivery, which the batsman lost balance while trying to glide it, to be stumped by wicket-keeper Dinesh Kaarthick. Pakistan’s supreme hope of an unlikely win, their captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, was the next to go, bowled off a quicker one by Kumble, which went off bat and pad and hit the off-stump.

Taufeeq Umar perished in the next over from L Balaji when he chased an out swinger and was caught by Virender Sehwag at second slip, thus Pakistan being reduced to 115-4, and with still more than five hours to survive.

We apologize for the unavailability of further details.

India 407 all out
V Sehwag 81, R Dravid 110, Abdul Razzaq 3-63, Shahid Afridi 3-80
Pakistan 393 all out
Younis Khan 147, Yousuf Youhana 104, A Kumble 3-93
India 407-9 decl.
R Dravid 135, KKD Kaarthick 93, Mohammad Sami 3-82, Abdul Razzaq 3-80
Pakistan 226 all out
Shahid Afridi 59, Asim Kamal 50, A Kumble 7-63, Harbhajan Singh 2-51

India won by 195 runs.