Resilience personified,
Anil Kumble does not identify with the word ‘surrender’. His mantra is to keep going until you turn the odds in your favor. Quite unorthodox in his bowling style, Jumbo (as he is known as) can be very deceptive with his googlies. His success story on Indian soil is almost unbelievable, with the highlight being the ten-wicket haul in a Test match against Pakistan.
Since his debut in 1990, he has been a regular feature of the Indian team. However, the sorriest situation came during the 2003 World Cup– he was included in the playing 15, but did not get a chance to take the field against the world’s biggest teams.
Of late,Anil Kumble has been off and on from the ODI squad, but found himself featured in the Indian World Cup 2007 squad. In all probability, this was his last World Cup, and thus he is glad to leave a mark on international cricket.
At the age of 37, he got the chance to captain Indian Test team against Pakistan at home. He won the series, the first in 27 years. Then he went on to playing a controversial series against Australia.
Kumble has played 271 ODIs, claiming 337 wickets at an economy rate of 4.30. In 125 Tests, he has taken 604 wickets at an economy rate of 2.69. He is amongst the five leading wicket-takers in Test cricket. In the longer version of the game, Anil Kumble is renowned for his dogged persistence as a batsman, who does not buckle down under pressure.
Despite being a milestone man, Anil Kumble has always maintained a low profile. He has always let his game do the talking, even at the time of criticism and adversities. It is this docility that makes him extremely respectable as a cricketer and a person.
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