Ian Botham vs Anil Kumble: Statistical breakdown to find who is the best

A statistical breakdown between two legends. The comparison between Ian Botham and Anil Kumble may sound unusual but is definitely an interesting one. As Kumble is mostly known for his bowling impact, Botham was an all-rounder, so this analysis will be limited to their bowling stats only. 

These two former internationals from different eras cemented their legacy with their on-field efforts. When Kumble was an active cricketer, India was considered one of the underdog cricket-playing countries despite winning the 1983 World Cup. And England, during Botham's tenure, was one of the leading forces of the cricket world. 

Ian Botham:

Botham's legacy was beyond the cricket fields. During the 1980s, he was one of the top English sports personalities in the world. With his skills, dominance, and flamboyant personality, Botham often appeared in newspaper headlines. In 102 Test matches, the pace bowling all-rounder claimed 383 wickets with his individual best bowling figure of 13/106 for a match. In total, the right-handed bowler notched 5-wicket figures 27 times and 10-wicket hauls on 4 occasions. In ODIs, the former England skipper got 145 wickets in 115 innings. His Test career launched with a bang by pocketing 5 wickets each in two back-to-back matches against their arch rivals, Australia. In his career's fourth Test match, both got 8 wickets. During a match against India in 1980 at Wankhede, Botham booked 13 wickets in his name. 

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Anil Kumble:

Kumble made his Test debut for India in August 1990, though he had to wait a couple of years more to become a regular cricketer for Team India in the Whites. Like Botham, Kumble's initial few matches were beyond expectations. The tall boy from Karnataka quickly established himself as a regular wicket-taking spinner in the format. His first six matches were parts of an overseas tour, where he got wickets in a regular manner. With his towering height, the spinner often caught batters by surprise by generating extra bounce from any type of surface. In 132 test matches, the spinner took a total of 619 wickets, including a best match figure of 14/149. In ODIs, he bagged 337 wickets after playing 271 games. Anil Kumble's best moment for India was his historic 10-wicket haul against Pakistan in Delhi on February 7, 1999, where he took all ten wickets in an innings, a rare feat in cricket history. 

Ian Botham vs Anil Kumble Test Bowling Stats Comparison

Ian Botham vs Anil Kumble ODI Bowling Stats Comparison