Finally, Anil Kumble got the recognition he deserved and got the place he belonged to ? the top of list of wicket takers for India.
His never say die spirit , unflinching commitment and laser-like focus are perhaps the biggest assets that separate Anil Kumble from the other ?me-too? spinners with whom he bowled in tandem. Kumble often deceives the batsman, in his own style. He does not give runs away easily, which often frustrates batsmen and lures them to make mistakes. He patiently waits for that one mistake, even if it means bowling lengthy spells.
He will never give up - He will keep coming back at the batsmen again and again and again with his shooters, googlies and top-spinners , all of them with a nagging accuracy that would put a computer to shame. He has not stopped, though he is on top.
Even a jaw fracture (West Indies, 2002)could not stop Anil Kumble from bowling to his opponents. When Kumble walked into the graound with a bandage around his head, it was a proud moment for every Indian. And, he didn t just display his commitment ? he also delivered results, picking up the wicket of Brian Lara.
When on song, Kumble can be simply unplayable. Some of his spells have left the best players of spin bamboozled. The West Indians got a taste of it in Hero cup finals. Pakistanis got their share in Delhi , when Kumble scored a perfect ten.
There are so many such examples and I can fill up the review with such inspiring moments. But, the greatest achievement of Kumble is that he changed the way spin bowling is evaluated. His critics forever screamed from roof-tops that Kumble is not a genuine spinner. They still do so, even after Kumble has repeatedly shown that it is the ability to out-think the batsman and skill to keep a tight control on the runs scored that makes a great spinner. He had his own unique style and he did stamp his authority many a time when he won matches for India.
For someone who is the leading wicket taker for his country, and won so many matches for his team, Anil Kumble, ironically, is the most easily dislodged player from the eleven. He is always under pressure to perform. He delivers consistently. Yet, he is never sure of his place in the eleven until the captain goes out for the toss. His critics love to say that Anil Kumble is not a powerful force outside India, but statistics show otherwise. He has picked more than 160 wickets outside India and has, as usual, played a large role when India won matches abroad.
Anil Kumble s plight should not surprise many who follow Indian cricket closely. Kapil Dev, the greatest contributor to India s cricket was accused of fixing matches. Sunil Gavaskar, who toiled for years and blunted the best pace attacks in the world just to ensure India did not face an ignominy of defeat, was accused of being selfish. Dilip Doshi was dropped at the peak of his form. Robin Singh was shown the door simply because his date of birth was in the sixties, though he could sprint better his twenty-something colleagues in the fitness sessions. The list goes on.
Many spinners come and go. Some of them win matches. But very few of them change the way spin bowling is approached. Anil Kumble belongs to that elite class of spinners who not only changed the course of matches , but also the way spin bowling is evaluated and approached. His contribution is not just to himself and to the country, but to the game itself. For the same reason, the void will be difficult to fill when he bids adieu to the game.
Simply put, Anil Kumble brought a new and unique dimension spin bowling. That will be the brightest jewel in his crown of achievements. This, apart from from the fact that he has shown it is possible to be competetive and also smile in the ground.