5 Test centuries scored by Indian Bowlers

#4 Anil Kumble 110* vs England, The Oval, 2006

Anil Kumble celebrating his maiden Test century

The legendary Indian leg-spinner is known for a unique style of leg spin, his record haul of 10 wickets in a Test inning and his stern national captaincy. The unexplored facet remains his courageous and doughty batting which would keep opposition bowlers at bay.

In India’s England tour of 2006, Anil Kumble achieved a feat which Shane Warne desired desperately but could never accomplish. A Test century. Leading into the third Test at Oval, India already had a lead of 1-0 and merely had to ensure a win or a draw to complete an away Test series victory.

Choosing to bat first, the Indian batsmen made most of the helpful pitch with as many as four out of the top six batsmen crossing the half-century mark. When Kumble walked out to bat, India was already in a dominant position with the score reading 417/6.

After enjoying Dhoni’s whirlwind 92(81), Kumble assumed the mantle of run-scoring and led India towards an unassailable total. With the last batsman S.Sreesanth batting well, Kumble’s dream of scoring his maiden Test century was within reach. An accidental undercut that went through the wicketkeeper gave the leg-spinner the sweetest moment of his illustrious career as he reached the three-figure mark. It could not have happened to a better man.