4.49 pm, WACA ground.

A man shrieked in excitement and looked back at the umpire who slowly started raising his finger. Then he shrieked louder. The scoreboard read: Andrew Symonds c Dravid b Kumble 66. The record books read: 600 wickets for Anil Kumble.

“You don’t think of such a landmark when you start, but it is a big number. I never dreamt of reaching here. Not many people thought I would be able to, but I knew I was capable of it,” he smiles.

The leg-spinner knew it was coming at this very ground —- at the Mecca of fast bowling. He got his milestone with a perfect leg-break with the 28th delivery in this Australian innings, subtly showcasing his status. Bowling from the Lillee-Marsh stand end, Kumble remembered his own little combination too: Dravid has held 54 catches off Kumble, twice as many as Laxman and Azhar. As fate would have it, today too, the ball ballooned off Dhoni’s gloves and right into Dravid’s safe hands.

“It’s an irony that Rahul had the take the catch, he’s probably taken the most catches off my bowling,” said Kumble.

Dravid was equally forthcoming in his praise. “It’s a great challenge to be standing in the slips... you stick to your hands. And when you too become part of an achievement, it’s nice really. We have been playing together for so many years now, but Anil has given me some of my best memories in international cricket, by bowling us to some great victories.”

... contd.