On a cold and balmy day in New Delhi in February 1999, an excited father pulled along his son for his first Test match at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground. An India – Pakistan encounter is never to be missed and this time would be no different. The ground was cold and the seats had slight traces of dew on them. Looking around, the little boy wondered what could possibly happen on a fourth day Test with India batting well. With Pakistan set to bat soon, it seemed that the day would turn into a dead rubber. Little did he know, that the next few hours would be extraordinary.
Anil Kumble scuttled the entire Pakistan side in 2 hours and 22 minutes and wrote his name into the record books with a 10 wicket haul in an innings. I was the little boy in the crowd and to this day I remember the celebrations vividly
Born in Bengaluru, Karnataka to Krishna Swamy and Saroja, Anil began playing cricket on the streets of Bengaluru and joined a club called “Young Cricketers” at the age of 13. The young Kumble began to make an immediate impact and he soon made his first class debut for Karnataka in 1989 where he took 4 wickets and bagged a pair. His incredible quality to make the ball bounce on any pitch made him a tough bowler for many a batsmen. He was nicknamed “Jumbo” by his teammates not only because his deliveries, for a spin bowler, were “as fast as a jumbo jet” but also because he had big feet!
Anil made his ODI and Test debut in 1990 and was the fastest to 50 Test wickets in 10 matches until very recently. His 100 Test wickets in 21 Test matches, is the second fastest by an Indian bowler after Erapalli Prasanna. He is also the third spinner in the world after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan to capture 400 Test wickets. While Kumble lacked the turn of Warne and Muralitharan, his variety was subtler and was far more apparent to a batsman than to viewers. Some of his best performances include 6/12 against West Indies in Kolkata (1992-93), 4/69 and 7/59 against Sri Lanka in Lucknow (1993-94) and 5/33 against New Zealand in Wellington (1993-94).
He is widely regarded as a gentleman and a warrior who puts the team before self. This was proven on a fateful afternoon in Antigua in 2002. The sight of Anil Kumble emerging from the pavilion and getting ready to bowl with a bandaged face is one of cricket’s most inspiring. He dismissed a dangerous Brian Lara after bowling 14 consecutive overs and he summed-up the wicket by saying that he could go home for surgery knowing that he had tried his best.
His application for the coach’s role came as a surprise to many given his lack of experience in the area. The fact that he wasn’t in the initial shortlist of 21 and was only added at the behest of the Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, came as an added surprise. He has never coached a side before this appointment and has only mentored two IPL teams. I guess that’s the reason Kumble’s contract is for one year as it will help him acclimatize to the role and provide a cushion for the BCCI incase they need to reassess their decision.
The uncertainty over the head coach role has finally been quelled and Kumble is the first Indian to be appointed as the full-time India coach since Kapil Dev resigned in September 2000.
Anil Kumble now has the chance to transform himself from being a great on the cricket field to becoming the coach that the Indian team needs. Knowing him, Kumble won’t accept mediocrity among his players or administrators and will set the tone for the future. It is heartening to see that he will be working along the other greats – Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid – to ensure the best possible outcome for the Indian team. It is a huge responsibility to take and many a man have wilted in the face of extreme pressure which this role brings with it.
Remembering his past achievements and what I saw on that cold February day, I’m confident that the warrior in him will rise again.
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