Anil Kumble - The Indian Braveheart.

2nd November, 2008, by God's grace was witnessed by me. The news flashed in a national news channel that the Leggie, Anil Kumble would be retiring at the end of the Firoz Shah Kotla match, today. It was a bounced googly, the one that this great cricketer have delivered all over the world, all round his career. With an injured left hand, Jumbo as he is known better in the cricketing faternity, he took 3 wickets in the Australian first Innings of this third test, in Kotla, New Delhi, India. It is the self same ground, where he became the second bowler in the history of test cricket, after Jim Laker, taking 10 wickets in an innings. The feat was achieved in 1999, against the arch rival Pakistan. It also made Jumbo the first spinner to achieve it, as Laker was a pacer.

Anil Kumble has 619 test wickets in his 100+ tests. In the shorter format, that is ODIs, he has 337 scalps, a feat that explais his 18 year long career, ending at 38 years of age. He politely and gentlemanly admits, "the body is not permitting...." It is true that he has been off the field many occassions due to injuries. May be those have prevented him of getting the 700 wickets in tests. May be... he is a man, who is the most successful Indian bowler in tests. His abrupt bounces even in the non juicy pitches, made life hard for many batsmen. The Little Master ( Sachin ) quotes, "Kumble is a Champion", and why not. He has come to India's rescue on many tricky situations, bowling with broken jaw, injured fingers, etc etc...

A stalwart for India will no more be part of the team on the park. But he will be part of the legendary greats, the Sons of India, who made the nation proud.

All the best to this great man.