Wisden overview
No bowler in India's history has won more Test matches than Anil Kumble. Unorthodox, he trades the legspinner's proverbial yo-yo for a spear, as the ball hacks through the air rather than hanging in it, then comes off the pitch with a kick rather than a kink. He does not beat the bat as much as hit the splice, but it's a method that has provided him with stunning success, particularly on Indian soil, where his deliveries burst like grenades on the feeblest hint of a crack. He is yet to lead India to a Test victory outside the subcontinent - an indictment of his over-reliance on tailor-made conditions, but also of India's singular dependence on him. A big-ripping legbreak would have made Kumble perfect. Just like the 10 for 74 he once recorded in a single Test innings against Pakistan. Rahul Bhattacharya

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