Kumble and Me….!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Anil Kumble to Wasim Akram – Pakistan was 207 for the loss 9 wickets. Kumble bowls a leg break – Takes an inside edge of Akram’s bat and VVS Laxman picks up a good catch at Forward short leg.“

 

Kumble has had 619 dismissals to his credit in Test Cricket but this was very special not only to him but also to the millions of Indians.  This was the wicket which gave Kumble figures of 10 for 74 at Ferozeshah Kotla Ground, New Delhi in February 1999. Only once was such a feat achieved in Test cricket before.

 

I still remember that day vividly. I was playing cricket with my cousin and Pakistan was 100-odd for no loss. That was when Jumbocastled Afridi to pick up his first wicket of the innings. That was when I went inside to watch the fall of wicket. The very next ball Jumbopicked up Ijaz Ahmed as well and then started the procession. I forgot the match that I was playing and sat glued to the TV. And the rest, as they say, is history. It was a day to cherish for all of us.

 

But this day, was very special to me because this was the day that I changed my bowling action. Yes.. you read it right. Just to throw some light on my history, I have played cricket right from my school days and was a batsman. But as I couldn’t make it to my school team purely as a batsman I decided to become a leg-spinner and copied Shane Warne’s action. I was pretty much successful and continued with it from 1996 to 1999. But on this day, I decided to mould my action in tune with that of Kumble’s. And people who have played cricket with me know what I am capable of with this new zippy action.

 

Just a few minutes back, I was telling one of my friends that my life has many similarities to that of Akshay Kumar’s. This made me think about the similarities that I had even with Anil Kumble.

 

To start with, Kumble and I are both engineers. We both wear spectacles. We both bowl leg-spinners. And not to forget, both of us are intelligent. I might be sounding a bit too egotistic. But yeah, I think I am intelligent enough. Now, please don’t ask me the definition of an intelligent person..!!!!!! Coming back to our similarities, we are both tall. In fact, both of us are of the same height. A young Kumble and I are of the same build. Tall, lean and lanky. But the biggest difference between us is that Kumble dared to live his dream – to play for the country. This is where I fizzled out. I gave up cricket for the sake of my studies. Not many know that I was offered a contract for a local club in Hyderabad when I was in Intermediate 1^st year. But I spurned it to pursue my studies. Who knows, what would have happened had I accepted it… But that’s past and I don’t want to delve my past or dwell in it.

 

Kumble is one sportsman who gives us inspiration in many ways.  Concentration is his hallmark. So, is his dedication and aggression. I would say he has controlled aggression. Controlling his aggression and showing it in his bowling rather than showing it on stupid histrionics. Constantly improving oneself and striving for bigger goals is another attribute which we can imbibe.

 

Finally, I would like to end this tribute to Kumble by saluting this great hero of Indian cricket who has brought great fame to the country and also for being a Dronacharya to this nondescript Ekalavya who played most of his cricket in the by-lanes of Kachiguda and Barkatpura.