Man with the Perfect 10

Abhijit Chatterjee on Anil Kumble whose decision to quit has created a void in the Indian bowling

HIS record is indeed phenomenal. As exceptional as the man himself. Anil Kumble, India’s highest and the third highest wicket-taker in the world, decided to call it a day during the Kotla Test against Australia after 18 eventful years. The decision may have been sudden, but his body had been clamouring for him to take the call. The latest injury on his finger just hastened Kumble’s decision.

The gentleman that he is, both off and on the field, the spirit of this great sportsman shone right till the end. After the injury at Delhi, which required 11 stitches, the spinner knew he would not be fit for the next game at Nagpur. Though there was no pressure on him to quit prematurely, Kumble decided to retire rather than continue playing when he was unable to give his 100 per cent.

This habit of giving everything to the game fetched Kumble 619 wickets in 132 Tests at an average of 29.65 and an economy rate of 2.69. The figures speak highly of the skills of the leg spinner. Add to this his one-day international (ODI) tally of 337 wickets from 271 games, and one can judge the contribution of the man who was called upon to lead the team only after the previous incumbent Rahul Dravid quit abruptly.

Gentleman player

Kumble, known for his fighting spirit and grit, took the baton and held the team together during the acrimonious tour of Australia where controversies marred the series. In fact, he brought in a quiet dignity to the job, rarely seen in modern cricket.

At a panel discussion on Who is India’s All-time Greatest Spinner on television a couple of months ago, all three panellists were unanimous about Kumble. The moderator of the discussion did throw in other names, not a difficult job in a country where even a Ranji Trophy team has at least one decent spinner, but their choice remained unwavering. Spinners like Bishen Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, B.S. Chandrasekhar (who is Anil Kumble’s idol), Venkataraghvan may have ruled the roost at one time or the other, but Kumble is miles ahead of all of them.

Which other cricketer can emulate his feat of bowling at Antigua in May 2002 with a broken jaw after being injured by a bouncer. Kumble sent down 14 consecutive overs, claiming the wicket of Brian Lara. It was only after the match finally slipped away from India’s grasp did Kumble give up. He is reported to have said before flying back to Bangalore for treatment, "At least I can now go home with the thought that I tried my best."

‘Smiling Assassin’

Team India will definitely miss his quiet determination and may find it difficult to fill the void created by his sudden and unexpected exit. Besides his Test exploits, Kumble, who stopped playing in the ODIs after the 2007 World Cup to concentrate on Test cricket, ended his one-day career with 337 wickets in 271 matches, a no mean achievement.

In a game where the mind and skill both matter, Kumble brought in the precision of an engineer (he is a qualified mechanical engineer) to study the opposition and exploit their weakness. Dubbed the ‘Smiling Assassin’, he was a terror with the ball. He has claimed five wickets in an innings on 35 occasions and 10 wickets in a match eight times. His best performance, of course, was at Ferozeshah Kotla ground where he claimed all 10 wickets of Pakistan in the second innings during the February Test in 1999. He was the only bowler after England’s Jim Laker to achieve the feat.

The Karnataka spinner has often been criticised for being a wrecker only on Indian wickets and not so successful abroad but the numbers tell a different story. True, 350 of his 619 wickets have come on home soil, but he has also claimed 269 wickets while playing abroad, which very well dispel doubts that he has been a home-grown bowler.

Not cast in the classical leg-spinner’s mould, Kumble relied more on accuracy and variation in his bowling than on leg breaks. He was a master in mixing his deliveries with googlies and flippers. But more than his talent, Jumbo, as he is called by his mates, will be remembered for being a team player, a fact that he exhibited one more time at the Ferozeshah Kotla by calling it quits there for the sake of the team rather than hang around till the Nagpur test. Of course, Kotla and Kumble will always be remembered in the same breath as Brian Lara and St John’s or Jim Laker and Old Trafford are remembered.

Cool elegance

Kumble made his Test debut against England at Manchester in 1990. But even if after 18 years Kumble never got the status of a poster boy of the Indian cricket like Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly or Dhoni, it was not because of the lack of ability or talent but his own desire. He always exhibited a quiet confidence and preferred to remain understated and undemonstrative rather than flamboyant.

Kumble’s 18-year career can be divided into two segments — the period during the 90s and the new millennium, after his shoulder surgery. By the time the surgery laid him low at the turn of the century he had been around for a decade, inspiring an unprecedented number of victories at home. The Indian team at that time was confident than before, willing to take on the rivals in their own lair and boasted of a batting line-up, which was among the best in the world. Kumble picked up seven wins at Headingley, eight in Multan and four in Perth as India scripted victories in every cricket-playing country, under his leadership.

Year 2008 saw him struggling with both fitness and form, taking 28 wickets in 10 Tests at a high average of 50.57. Kumble’s form deserted him during India’s tour of Sri Lanka, he went wicket-less in the Bangalore Test against Australia and missed the Mohali Test due to a shoulder injury. He did return to the Kotla ground with 11 stitches on the little finger of his left hand to claim three wickets against Australia, but he finally heeded the call of his body and bade a quiet but sudden farewell.

ODI feathers

As people talk of his contribution to Test cricket, one cannot forget his achievements in the ODIs as well. His best one-day bowling figures of six for 12 in the Hero Cup final against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in November 1993, would be something which every cricket lover would savour for all times to come. Those who had the privilege of watching him in action in that match will always remember what a great bowler Kumble was. In the same tournament he claimed 12 wickets at an average of less than 16, figures difficult to emulate in the best of times.

For the record books he was the top wicket-taker in the 1996 World Cup held in the sub-continent, surpassing even Shane Warne of Australia and Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, two bowlers, whose careers have paralleled Kumble’s. This was also the year when Wisden selected Kumble as one of the five Cricketers of the Year.

Though his decision may have seemed sudden and abrupt, it was well-meditated and not a knee-jerk reaction. "I have performed really well. I have taken a decision at the right time. I am at peace after taking this decision. I want to take some time off now`85it will be nice for a change," added the gentleman cricketer.

"It has been a great journey, an incredible journey, but it’s time to move on and enjoy time with my family," Kumble said after he announced his decision to quit. However, the skipper said he would miss the Indian dressing room. In fact, the Indian dressing room will miss this man with magic finger more and for several years to come.