#3 2004 : 4th test against Australia in SCG
The India tour to Australia in 2004 was a lucky appearance for Anil Kumble. It was widely reported that the only reason he was recalled to the squad was because the then first choice spinner Harbhajan Singh was out with an injury. To say that Kumble proved all the selectors wrong would be an understatement. This series marked the turning point of his career and he returned to favour with style.
The fourth Test was all important as Australia had the momentum going into the game after winning the Boxing Day test match at Melbourne in the previous game. Even though India notched up a high score in the first innings, Steve Waugh's scraping innings and slow-but-steady partnerships made victory quite impossible for India.
The only reason Waugh survived as long as he did on the crease was because he did not take any unnecessary risks, especially against Kumble whom he recognised as a threat. So while he scored at the rate of 5.4 every six balls against Murali Kartik, he only managed 18 off 75 deliveries from Kumble he faced.
In Australia's first innings, Kumble ended up taking eight wickets (the remaining two were claimed by Irfan Pathan) while he took four out of six in the second innings. For a player who almost did not make it to the squad for that tour, those are highly impressive figures. It once again proves exactly how resilient and determined Jumbo can be.
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