Anil Kumble
Born: 17 October
1970, Bangalore
Major Teams:
Karnataka, Northamptonshire, India, Leicestershire.
Known As:
Anil Kumble
Batting Style:
Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style:
Leg Break Googly
Profile:
India's main strike
bowler of the 90s, Anil Kumble has taken upon the role of both stock bowler
and shock bowler for many years now. Like his illustrious predecessor BS
Chandrasekhar, he has frequently proved to be a match winner, especially
on Indian wickets. On a turning track, Kumble can be pretty unplayable
as he mixes his bag of tricks to bamboozle the batsman. Kumble has never
been a big spinner of the ball but his accuracy and his enormous variety
make him a difficult bowler to handle. Kumble came into the side as a relatively
unknown 19-year-old on the tour of England in 1990, was promptly forgotten
for a couple of years and was back in the team on the basis of an outstanding
Irani Trophy performance in 1992-93. Subsequently on the tour of South
Africa he really came of age, a major turning point being his bag of six
for 53 in the second Test at Johennesburg.
Less than a month
after his 37th birthday, he received the ultimate honour when he was named
India's Test captain for the home series against Pakistan. He went on to
win the series, the first home triumph against Pakistan in 27 years, before
playing a big role in holding the side together during the controversial
series in Australia. He was also India's leading wicket-taker with 20 in
the four Tests.
His form, however,
slipped during the tour of Sri Lanka and there were calls for him to quit
after a wicketless performance in the Bangalore Test against Australia.
A shoulder injury added fuel to the fire and an upset Kumble reacted sharply,
saying that he had it in him to continue for a while longer. However, he
changed his mind during the Delhi Test and announced his retirement, fittingly
at his favourite venue. He finished his career as the third-highest Test
wicket-taker (619), behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.
| Kumble announces retirement
Anil Kumble bowled his
last ball for India as the third Test with Australia ended in a draw.
The India skipper announced
his retirement before calling a halt to India's second innings on 208 for
five, a lead of 244.
That left a possible
23 overs remaining in the day and Kumble came out to bowl four wicketless
overs before the captains shook hands.
VVS Laxman had backed
up his first innings double hundred with a an unbeaten half-century in
the second earlier on the fifth day.
Brett Lee and Mitchell
Johnson raised faint hopes of a dramatic Australian victory with a wicket
apiece in the morning session, but that prospect was ground into the dust
at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Gautam Gambhir (36) and
Sachin Tendulkar (47) kept India afloat until Laxman (57 not out) and Sourav
Ganguly (32 not out) led India to their declaration total deep into the
final session.
That left Australia with
the improbable task of chasing 245 for victory and Kumble opened proceedings
with the new ball.
Matthew Hayden (16 not
out) and Simon Katich (14 not out), however, denied the prolific leg-spinner
a final hurrah as they reached 31 for no loss when stumps were drawn after
eight overs had been bowled.
Kumble shook hands with
his team-mates, both Australian batsman and the umpires at the end and
was carried around the ground on the shoulders of his successor Mahendra
Singh Dhoni for one last farewell at the Kotla, a venue which had brought
him immense success.
The result means India
take a 1-0 lead into the fourth and final Test at Nagpur, which starts
on Friday, but Australia have a chance to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
should they win there.
|
Anil Kumble getting 500 wickets
Mohali, March 11
A wave of jubilation swept through the Indian camp when Anil Kumble
trapped England tailender Steve Harmison lbw to join the select band of
bowlers to claim 500 Test wickets. As umpire Simon Taufel upheld the lbw
appeal, the 35-year-old Kumble jumped in the air and pumped his fists in
celebration. Though denied a hat-trick, Kumble went on to claim the last
wicket of Monty Panesar to complete another five-wicket haul.
The other bowlers to have already achieved the 500-wicket feat are Shane
Warne (Australia - 659), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka- 600), Glenn McGrath
(Australia- 542) and Courtney Walsh (West Indies- 519).
The Indian leg-spinner, scourge of batsman the world over and the architect
of so many Indian victories at home and abroad, emerged the second fastest
to complete the 500-wicket mark in terms of number of Tests played.
The current Test at the PCA Stadium is the wily spinner’s 105th match.
Warne, the leading wicket-taker in Test history, is way ahead of other
bowler with 659 scalps in his kitty. Muralitharan joined Warne as only
the second bowler in the history of the game to cross the 600-wicket mark
during the Bogra Test against minnows Bangladesh.
In quest of the rare honour, Kumble started the proceedings today with
pacer Munaf Patel. Though he came close to taking a wicket on a couple
of occasions, the Karnataka leggie went wicketless in th pre-lunch session.
But he triggered a batting collapse immediately after the lunch break.
Operating with the new ball with Munaf, Kumble castled Jones to reach the
figure of 499. Then he got rid of Harmison and Panesar to take his tally
to 501. Kumble’s second spell read 1.4-0-2-3.
For someone who made his Test debut in 1990 at Old Trafford, it has
been a peerless saga of success achieved through sheer determination and
hard work. During the 16 years that he has been on the international stage
for the country, Kumble has numerous occasions to cherish, the foremost
among these being the 10-wicket haul against arch-rivals Pakistan at Ferozeshah
Kotla. Though he has lost berth in the one-day squad, Kumble is a vital
component in the Test squad. Kapil Dev with 434 wickets is the second highest
wicket-taker for India in Tests.
An ecstatic Kumble later said it was his self belief, perseverance and
support by team-mates which kept him going. “There were doubts created
by various people but I never doubted my abilities,” he said.
“It is a great feeling to be able to reach the milestone as the first
Indian and only the fifth bowler in the history of the game. I owe it to
all the cricketers I have played with,” he observed. |
From that moment
on he has never looked back and has been India's only real world class
spin bowler. Bowlers who have partnered him in the spin attack during the
decade have long since departed from the scene but Kumble has carried on,
picking up his usual quota of wickets both in Tests and one day internationals.
And at times he has come up with the unusual feats too, like his six for
12 in the Hero Cup final against West Indies in 1993-94 and his perfect
ten for 74 against Pakistan at New Delhi in 1998-99. The latter feat made
him only the second bowler in Test cricket, after Jim Laker for England
against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956, to capture all ten wickets in
a Test innings. A more than useful tailend batsman with a penchant for
attack, Kumble has come to the rescue of the side frequently with some
timely knocks
Test Debut:
India v England at Manchester, 2nd Test, 1990
ODI Debut:
India v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, Australasia Cup, 1989/90
Anil Kumble with his wife Chetana
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