An unorthodox, right arm leg spin bowler, this tall, bespectacled (now contact lens-ed), captain of Karnataka, who started life as a medium-pacer  is India`s most effective strike bowler in both Tests and ODIs. The onl bowler other than Jim Laker to take 10 wickets in an innings, a feat not easy to achieve.  He made his debut in England in 1990, alongside Narendra Hirwani, raising hopes of a resurgence in the art of leg-spin. But it was not until his recall against South Africa sixteen months later that he proved his abilities on the International stage. Since then he went from strength to strength. It is his well concealed googly and flipper, along with his genuine medium-pace faster balls that are his strike weapons rather than the leg-break  which he turns little. He is unfailingly economical and in the 1995 English county season became the first bowler in 5 years to capture more than 100 wickets. A useful lower-order batsmen, with first-class centuries to his credit, Kumble has often done a sterling job holding up the sagging tail for India. Suffering from being over-bowled, Kumble recieved a well deserved rest from the national side in 1997, missing the tour of Sri Lanka and the Sahara Cup but was recalled to the national side to face Sri Lanka.