The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Kumble is now respected by Aussies

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Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Kumble is now respected by Aussies

As far as Australians are concerned, Anil Kumble gave his most convincing performance on his country's recent tour Down Under. Of course cricket followers everywhere are familiar with his impressive haul of wickets.

Everyone has also heard about his achievement in taking all 10 wickets in a single Test innings. Batsmen all over the world have spoken about the difficulty in facing him on a breaking surface and as much has been documented by reporters and historians.

But the Australians wanted more and on that famous tour of 2003/4, Kumble gave it to them. Most particularly the Australians were looking for evidence of qualities required before the word `great' can legitimately be attached to any performer. It is not enough to rout a team on a dustbowl in Delhi. Nor is it quite enough to take hundreds of wickets in the best company.

Australians have long since accepted that Kumble was a magnificent bowler in his own country. After all his record speaks for itself. He is peculiarly suited to sub-continental surfaces upon which bounce is more important than side-spin. In India a man must beat his opponent either through the air or surprise him off the pitch.

A conjurer

Kumble can make the ball leap or skid and turn a few degrees in either direction. Slow pitches do not restrict him because somehow he persuades the ball to spring to life after landing on the doziest of decks. In truth he is a conjurer in the guise of a clerk.

Proof is required that the sportsman is a man apart, a player who regularly displays the traits that provoke admiration amongst beggars and professors alike (not that those groups are mutually exclusive). Bowlers of the highest class must be dangerous on pitches lush and bare. Kumble had not been effective on hard Antipodean surfaces and it was held against him by critics more willing to forgive Shane Warne his failures hereabouts.

Accordingly reservations were held about his standing in the game amongst the ever-sceptical Australians. Indeed some were surprised that the supposedly ageing spinner had been included in the touring party. John Wright explained that his bowling was only part of it. India needed Kumble the man. It was then that the Australians started listening.

A big part

Kumble performed magnificently in Australia and played a big part in holding the touring party together. At first he seemed to be wheeling away in familiar style. Closer inspection revealed a greater willingness to change his pace.

In Sydney, Damien Martyn was memorably fooled into tapping back a gentle return catch, the sort of dismissal that had seemed to be beyond Kumble's range. Others failed to read the googly and left in a state of confusion.

Altogether Kumble took 24 wickets in the series but it took more than that to convince the Australians. More relevant was his absolute refusal to give up or complain about his bad luck. Often Kumble was roughly handled at the start of an innings and found himself nursing figures that might have wounded a lesser man.

If he was even disheartened he did not show it. To the contrary he'd stride to the bowling crease for another over, flicking the ball, licking his lips, plotting his revenge. Nor did he ever go on the defensive. Defeat was not in his vocabulary.

Kumble's reward came with a telling contribution as India won the Adelaide Test. Had more chances been accepted off his bowling, Kumble might have also bowled his team to victory in the decider in Sydney. Alas stumpings wee missed and catches dropped, and India had to settle for the most honourable of draws.

Kumble's stature

If a single moment is required to illustrate Kumble's stature it came as another Australian batsmen left his crease at the SCG. He was beaten all ends up. Kumble's hopes rose as the ball reached his young keeper only to be shattered as the novice dropped the ball. Already the spinner had been working away for hours in tough conditions.

Had he raged he could hardly have been blamed. Instead he cut short his celebration as the horrible truth was revealed, allowed himself a silent curse and walked back to his mark to try again. Between overs he patted the crestfallen youngster on the back and told him to forget about it. Nowadays the Australians can be included amongst his greatest admirers.

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