Anil Kumble: The Spinner with a difference

Last year a World Record was made at the Ferozshah Kotla Ground, as Anil Kumble became only the second bowler in history after Jim Laker to take 10 wickets in an innings. Kumble achieved this feat against Pakistan. It is one of those rare things that happen in World Cricket. And it came from none other than our very own Kumble who has been an epitome of persistence, perseverance, determination and above all of a true cricketer. He has been a tremendous player for India as he has more often than not performed whenever the chips have been down. Even though he is a spinner but the kind of aggression that he has is reminiscent of a fast bowler. In fact, he is not a turner of the ball and has beaten many a batsmen with his pace. His strengths are his immaculate line and length and his tireless approach to the game. Make him bowl 30 overs at a stretch and even in the 31^st over he would be as fresh and focused as he was in his first. Even the great Steve Waugh has tremendous respect for him as he said, “the best thing about Kumble is that he keeps coming at you over after the other”.

Kumble has not been in the best of forms off late and the expectations are high. Not that he has been performing badly but such are the expectations from this leggie that even normal statistics don’t satisfy people. One good performance would give him back the confidence that he is missing these days. He has taken more than 200 wickets in both forms of cricket, which is a tremendous achievement. He is the kind of player who is never satisfied with himself. He sets high standards for himself and that sets him apart from his fellow teammates. One thing that must disturb him thoroughly is his average record on overseas pitches. As deadly that he is on his home turf, his performances abroad have been below satisfaction. Batsmen have found him relatively easy to handle on the fast bouncy pitches than the ones that tears off on the second day itself. But given the kind of dedication that he has for the game, one won’t be surprised if he has worked out a strategy by himself. His fighting spirit is very well known and his journey to stardom has not been a smooth one. He has been dropped from the team a couple of times but he has come back even stronger every time. One would seldom see a lot of runs in his quota of overs and whenever India has needed a crucial breakthrough, he has delivered more often than not. India was once a paradise of spinners but off late they have not produced any great ones. But one can definitely look at Kumble and feel proud of him and his achievements. India has a very busy season ahead with two home series coming up against Zimbabwe and the mighty Australians and one would sincerely hope that Kumble won’t let us down. He is definitely a spinner with a difference.