"Firsts are always special" - Anil Kumble takes a trip down memory lane to his maiden Test wicket

Anil Kumble made his debut against England in Manchester.
Anil Kumble made his debut against England in Manchester.

India's greatest spinner Anil Kumble took a trip down memory lane on Wednesday, August 9, remembering his first international wicket on this day 33 years ago.

Kumble made his Test debut against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1990 and took the wickets of Allan Lamb, John Morris, and Angus Fraser. Lamb became the first of his 619 Test victims as the English batter failed to keep out a dipping and turning leg-break from the wirey spinner, giving an easy catch to Sanjay Manjrekar at silly point.

Kumble has kept a snippet from Lamb's dismissal framed with the match ball.

"Firsts are always special," he said on Twitter while sharing a photo of the frame. "Taking a trip down memory lane to this day 33 years ago. Grateful for everything in life."

Kumble went wicketless in the second innings. England set India a target of 408 and the tourists reached close at 343/6 to what could've been one of the greatest chases of all time, but lack of time meant that the match ended in a draw.

The ace spinner was dropped from the next Test but went on to lead India and take currently the third most number of wickets in Tests and the highest for an Indian.


Bishan Singh Bedi recalls Kumble crying in the dressing room on debut

Last year, Bishan Singh Bedi, who was the team manager during Anil Kumble's debut recalled how the latter was crying in the dressing room after getting scolded by captain Kapil Dev on the ground for dropping Allan Lamb's catch in the second innings.

"It was his first Test match. I was the cricket manager at Old Trafford," Bedi said on 'The Mid Wicket Tales', as reported by Hindustan Times. "Anil dropped the match and Kapil scolded him on the ground. It was his debut and Kapil I guess had played 100 Tests by then."
"When I went to the dressing room, I found him crying. That might have strengthened him. Shedding tears at that moment was important. It was crucial that he felt bad at that moment for what emerged later," Bedi added.

Kumble is currently working as a commentator and pundit.

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