Before retiring with over 600 wickets, Anil Kumble gave India its only century in a famous Test series win in England, and it came with a bat in hand at The Oval, 2007
It marks the beginning of a new era in Indian Test cricket. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R. Ashwin are no longer present. Shubman Gill is now the captain, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy, as India embarks on their ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign with a high-profile away series in England.
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As the Men in Blue prepare to step out at Headingley on June 20, memories from the summer of 2007 come rushing back. That was the last time India won a Test series in England—a campaign led by Rahul Dravid, defined by teamwork, and crowned above all by an unexpected knock from India's ace leg-spinner, Anil Kumble.
India was already 1-0 up in the series after sneaking a draw at Lord's and securing a famous win at Trent Bridge. Dravid won the toss at The Oval and chose to bat first on a flat, batting-friendly surface.
Dinesh Karthik (91), Dravid (55), Tendulkar (82), Laxman (51), Ganguly (37), and Dhoni (92) all contributed. It was a day when everyone made the most of their opportunities. And yet, no one anticipated that the man wearing jersey No. 185 would deliver the most poetic innings of the match.
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India was 417 for 6 when Kumble walked in. The runs were flowing, but the scoreboard still had space for more. At the other end, Dhoni was accelerating the scoring. Kumble? He nudged, defended, and rotated the strike.
Kumble's first 50 came off 109 balls. However, once the milestone was in sight, he opened up. With Zaheer Khan and RP Singh providing support, the veteran carried on. Then came the 10th-wicket stand—Sreesanth walked in, not with fireworks but with a mission: "You get the hundred. I'll stay here."
Kumble eventually reached 100* with an inside edge past Matt Prior. The crowd at The Oval stood in appreciation. His teammates applauded as if they'd won the series right then and there.
At 36 years of age, in his 118th Test, Kumble had finally reached three figures. No Indian spinner had ever done so before him in England, and he remains the only one to achieve it at The Oval.
India posted a mammoth 664 in the first innings—eight partnerships of 50 or more and ten scores in double digits. A total built on teamwork but topped by a spinner's bat.
Kumble wasn't done. With the ball, he took three wickets in England's first innings of 345. He also dismissed two in their second innings. The match ended in a draw, but the series didn't require a result here. India had already secured it, 1–0.
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Kumble was rightfully named Player of the Match. Not for five-fors. Not for tearing through top orders. But for demonstrating that even tailenders, even 36-year-olds, can dream big.
When India returns to The Oval for the fifth and final Test of the 2025 series, they will walk into a ground where history was made not just by Tendulkar or Dravid—but by Kumble, the spinner with a warrior's heart and a bat that once roared louder than any ball he bowled.
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So, if you are perusing stat sheets ahead of the series, do not skip the batting column. You will find Kumble: 110 not out, sitting quietly among the greats.
