Kumble grabs his 600th Test victim

PERTH, Australia -- Captain Anil Kumble celebrated his 600th Test scalp as India claimed a 118-run first innings lead on Thursday to leave Australia fighting to achieve a world record 17th straight Test victory.

India skittled Australia's vaunted batting lineup for just 212 runs -- left-arm seamer R.P.Singh took four wickets -- and the tourists stretched their third test advantage to 170 with a solid start to the second innings.

At stumps on a day when 15 wickets fell, India opener Virender Sehwag was unbeaten on 29 with nightwatchman Irfan Pathan two not out in a total of 52-1.

Earlier Kumble struck just after tea to end a 102-run partnership between Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist and become only the third bowler in Test history to join the '600' club.

With the fourth ball of his fifth over, Kumble bowled a shorter, faster delivery and Symonds got a thick edge.

The ball rebounded off the top of wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's glove and ballooned to Rahul Dravid at first slip.

Dravid completed the simple catch and umpire Asad Rauf seemed to allow Symonds the opportunity to walk, before eventually raising his finger to spark Indian celebrations.

As Symonds departed, the 37-year-old leg-spinner raised the ball to an appreciative crowd.

"It means a lot. You never think when you first start off that you will reach that milestone but having played this long you keep crossing landmarks and milestones," he said.

"I'd like to thank my family, my wife, my kids and all the teammates right though my career, the 18 years I have played... and the bowlers who have actually bowled from the other end, and the catchers," he added.

"It was an irony that Rahul took the catch as he has probably taken the most catches off my bowling."

Kumble finished with two wickets for 42 from 12 overs, taking a simple return catch from tailender Shaun Tait to end the Australian first innings.

He has 601 wickets at 28.65 in 124 Tests -- and only Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (723) and retired Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, with 708, have taken more Test wickets. E-mail to a friend