Kumble and Kricket

Summer in Bangalore in the 90s was always pleasant and enjoyable. Those were the days when every ground in the city had kids attending cricket camps in droves. I was one of the boys attending the camp in Basavangudi.

The only thing I hated about the other wise enjoyable camp was that I had to wake up at 5 am in the mornings. With the kit on my cycle carrier, I would reach the grounds at around 6. We started the mornings helping the groundsman to lay the mat and fix the nets. The coach would take us with him for the initial warm-up exercises and we would come back at the nets and start our practice.

This day was different mainly for the fact that we had a very tall guy having a go at the stumps. He was unusually tall and his strides were long too. From a distance, I could recognize him wearing the best cricket flannels and the Reebok bowling boots. He went about his usual run-up and had a shy at the wickets. Most of us stopped and were looking at him practice. It was nothing short of a spectacle. When this guy turned around to his marker, we realized that we had ANIL KUMBLE in our nets!!!
I am not bragging, but I am sure every one of us had goose bumps watching him bowl with such accuracy and determination. I mean, he was like very well established by then in the Indian team; and here he was bowling on a matting wicket!!! Later, we came to know that he had come to meet Venkatesh Prasad. Venky, by the way, (was not in the Indian team then) was our coach. They were talking for a while, and then Venky called us to start our practice. Kumble joined us as well and he was nursing an injury.

Call it a privilege or honor or a spectacle, I was lucky enough to share the nets with the greatest Indian match winner. He carried no baggage and was bowling as another person at the wickets and not as India's strike bowler. I curse my stars today for not letting me have a cell phone to capture him bowling or posing with him for a lifetime remembrance. Kumble is synonymous with Kricket (it is not the Ekta Kapoor K syndrome!!)

Kumble took to the field at the Kotla for the last time. I was again lucky to watch him bowl his last over. Emotion was there for everyone to see on his face. For a man who never showed emotions, it was a sight to behold. Sachin takes his cap for the last time and hands it over to Billy Bowden. Hayden and Katich shake hands with the legend as he collects the ball. One ball bounced so hard that Dhoni had to move away to collect it. Hayden sent one ball down the long leg for a boundary. Kumble completes his over. He walks in to the horizon and as always with his head held high.

He ended his test career on his own terms. He was modest when he talked to the Kotla crowd. Ravi Shastri said it all when he ended the presentation ceremony. "We end this presentation on a sad note."

I was emotional when he addressed the reporters after the match. One of his comments was directed to all the doubting thomases and cricket puritans, who time and again, questioned his ability of spinning the ball. He said, and I quote, "I am still learning the art of spinning the ball." The media never gave him his due. But again, Kumble being Kumble, he did not bother much about it and thrilled fans all over the world.

Take a bow Jumbo. We will miss you.

A worthy snippet from Peter Roebuck’s article…

Yesterday, Kumble declared India's innings closed so that he could say a proper goodbye to his supporters. And then he declare his own innings closed, and left as always with a determined look in his eyes and head held high. As far as tributes are concerned, let us leave the last word to John Wright, his friend and sometime coach.

Years ago, I asked Wright why he had brought a bowler as aged and limited as Kumble to Australia. He said: "I need him in the rooms." Next day he took five wickets and later India won the match.

He never gave up, and with unyielding will and high intelligence, made the most of his abilities. He scored a Test hundred and never let his side down. A thousand pities the Australians did not speak to him in Sydney. Throughout he has retained his dignity, it has been an immense contribution, and he did not outstay his welcome by a single day. Even in his retirement he served the side and Indian cricket.

Some of the articles that were written by journalists to celebrate the era of Kumble are given below.


http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricket/bpeter-roebuckb-crafty-old-kumble-times-his-bye-just-right/2008/11/02/1225560645541.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/376696.html

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/nov/03prem.htm

http://news.google.co.in/?ncl=1262523734&hl=en&topic=h