The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : An emotional moment

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Saturday, Dec 08, 2007
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An emotional moment

Principal Correspondent

Bangalore: In a place he calls his second home, Anil Kumble will grapple with emotions as he gets ready to lead India. “I have spent the last 20 to 25 years of my life on this ground — the Chinnaswamy Stadium. So it’s very special to go out there tomorrow morning for the toss,” Kumble said on the eve of the third Test against Pakistan.

Kumble’s anticipated walk to the middle on Saturday morning, weather-permitting, has gladdened the hearts of his fellow cricketers from his hometown. “It would be a delight to see him go out for the toss. I wish he makes it special by winning this game and making it a 2-0 Test series triumph over Pakistan. I wish him the best,” said an elated Javagal Srinath.

For batting great G.R. Viswanath, Kumble’s growth as a cricketer is a reflection of his commitment.

“The atmosphere would be terrific. Leading India in front of his home crowd is a special moment and Anil deserves every bit of it. Even as a young cricketer, he always had that consistency and he worked hard and that has helped him to perform well. Age has not affected him at all,” Viswanath said.

Former Karnataka captain Sujith Somasundar, who has shared the dressing room with Kumble, right from their junior-cricket days, spoke about Kumble’s ‘authenticity in effort.’

“I first met and played with him in 1987. Even then, he was aggressive on the field and passive off the field. He wouldn’t say a word more than was required after the game, at that stage. We all knew that he would go on to the next level. He was always focussed on the game. He would tell us later, ‘don’t talk about tomorrow and the day-after, talk about now, do it now.’ His success is due to the authenticity in his effort all these years,” Sujith said. — Principal Correspondent

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