Anil Kumble, the lone savior for team India a number of times has said good bye to one-day cricket. The announcement came the very next day the team returned empty handed from West Indies after being thrashed by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, he will be available to play for test cricket.
The ace- leg spinner admired world over for his quality bowling, is India’s highest wicket taker in both One-dayers and Tests. The 36-year-old leg-spinner played in 271 one-day internationals, making his debut in April 1990, and took 337 wickets. He stands at number seven in overall bowler’s list of highest wicket - takers. Disappointed at the loss in Caribbean, Kumble played in the only game India won in world cup this time, against Bermuda. He played in a total of four World Cups from 1996. He captained his country in one one-day international, against England in Chennai in 2002. “Jumbo,” as he is adorably called in the cricketing world, kept even the best batsmen on tenterhooks whenever he came to bowl. He is among the world’s most dreaded bowlers.
In one-dayers, Kumble took four or more wickets in an innings on eight occasions and his best figures were six for 12 in 6.1 overs against the West Indies in Kolkata in November 1993.
The Karnataka software engineer is a handy batsman too. It is quite clear from the record books. He has four test fifties to his credit. In one-dayers, he has a total tally of 938 runs to his credit. And who can forget the batsman ship showed by Kumble in a one-dayer in his home town Bangalore against the formidable Australian team. Batting with Srinath, Kumble sneaked the game from Australia. A match-winner in tests, the unorthodox leg-spinner claimed 24 wickets in three tests on the 2003-04 tour of Australia. A few months later, he took six for 71 at Multan to help India register their first series victory in Pakistan. Kumble took six second-innings wickets that helped India win the fourth and final test in Jamaica, last year and also clinch their first series triumph in the Caribbean for 35 years.
Who can forget his 10 - wicket haul against the competent Pakistani side at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi in 1999? The match was very much in the grip of Pakistan, but the brilliance of kumble not only turned the match in India’s favour, but also gave India the victory. With this, he became only the second bowler in cricket history for taking all 10 wickets in an innings, after England’s Jim Laker.
Now, it is hoped that the genius of Kumble will be used in tests and not left to rot. However, the great band of deliveries in his repertoire will be missed by his fans in one-dayers.
Via: Scotsman
