Mohali, March 11:

Indian legspinner Anil Kumble joined Test cricket’s elite 500-wicket club on Saturday as he snared five for 76 before England’s bowlers struck back in the second Test match.

Kumble dismissed Geraint Jones (52) and Stephen Harmison (0) off successive deliveries to became only the fifth bowler in Test cricket’s 129-year history to claim 500 wickets, and then removed last man Monty Panesar (0) for his third dismissal in four balls. Kumble finished with 501 wickets in 105 Tests as England’s first innings concluded on 300 despite a 103-run innings building partnership for the sixth wicket between skipper Andrew Flintoff (70) and Jones.

The Flintoff-Jones partnership boosted England from its Friday score of 200 for five before rookie seamer Munaf Patel (3-72) broke the partnership. Kumble then ran through the lower order.

India’s batsmen squandered the advantage as England’s bowlers hit back to claim four top order wickets before the close of play.

Losing Virender Sehwag (11), Wasim Jaffer (31), Sachin Tendulkar (4) and Yuvraj Singh (15), India was 149 for four at stumps. Skipper Rahul Dravid was holding his end up, unbeaten on 60 after posting his 41st Test half-century, while Mahendra Dhoni was keeping him company on 12.

Kumble, 35, joined the exclusive club of Test bowlers when he trapped Harmison lbw for a first-ball duck after clean bowling Jones off the previous ball.

England’s last man, Panesar denied Kumble the hat-trick but fell off the next ball, caught by Dravid at slip. This was the 32nd time that Kumble had claimed five or more wickets in a Test innings.

Kumble is the first Indian and third spin bowler in the 500-wicket club.

Australian legspinner Shane Warne (659), Sri Lankan offbreak bowler Muttiah Muralitharan (600), Aussie paceman Glenn McGrath (542) and West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh (519) have snared more than 500 wickets.