The high flyer

I think I have primarily two split personalities. One, the average human being who behaves normally and follows blog etiquettes. And the other, the sports freak who at times gets too nostalgic and romantic about his favorite game. Today, the latter has taken over.

"..although I am still trying to find out how I can bowl legspin"

- Anil Kumble

They criticized him coz he could not turn the ball. He ended up taking 619 test wickets!

Yes, for the record, Kumble did not spin the ball. But with his high arm action, he extracted bounce which made batsmen dance to his tune on dusty Indian tracks. Also, Kumble had pace. (I mean his quicker delivery was faster than Prasad's slower delivery; or at times even faster than Prasad's normal delivery ;) ) Pace, which batsmen were not accusotmed to from a spinner. And most importantly, Kumble thrived on the age old philosophy of line n length. Mc'grath mastered it in pace. Kumble perfected it in spin.

When it came to Kumble, perseverance was the word. He was always probing on and around that off stump. And every now and then he used to slip in that fast straighter one. Invariably the batsman was trapped in front. The trademark Kumble dismissal. No wonder he holds the record for the most lbw dismissals. 156 to be precise!

Facts and figures apart, Kumble always gave his cent percent. He was alwasys the fighter. One relates to the word fighter and the mind immediately rushes back to Antigua 2002. A dead track. A broken jaw. A bandaged face. He walked onto the field like a gladiator marching onto a battlefield. Bowling with unbearable pain, he dismissed the Prince of Barbados.. Lara became part of a legend that will be passed on to generation after generation. If my grandchildren ever ask me to pick one cricketing instance that made me proud, it will easily be that moment.

Kumble has given so many such memories to cricket lovers like me. He has easily been India's biggest matchwinner at home. True, tracks were suited for spin bowling. But one still needed someone to go out there and do the job. Kumble did that with ease, more so of as a daily duty affair.

It has been an honour watching him play all these years. A champion cricketer. A champion person.

Adios Jumbo. A salute is all a mere mortal like me can offer.