Many eyes witnessing the fifth and final day of the third Test in the middle of India and Australia at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi, had to shed tears when Anil Kumble came out to lead the home side for the last time in his career.
The news about the relinquishment of Kumble was broken only when India had inched closer to safety. And from the moment the news was confirmed all eyes and cameras were focused on the champion leg-spinner who had done his country proud with his exploits on and off the field for the past 18 years.
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With the emergence of excellent young leg-spinners like Piyush Chawla and Amit Mishra it was being speculated that the scholar would be inspecting calling it a day sooner or later. But nobody had imaginable the decision to arrive while the policy of a Test match.
It didn't look a hasty decision, however. Kumble, in fact, has made a wise move in the larger interest of Indian cricket. With his left hand stitched nearby there was hardly any opportunity left for him to derive fitness before the start of the fourth and final Test in Nagpur in just a few days time.
His decision to quit makes life easier for the team management who can still stick to the mixture of two fast bowlers and as many scholar spinners with Harbhajan Singh seeing fit to play again.
But no praise could be too high for Kumble, whose article as the highest wicket-taker for India in Test matches should remain intact for the next many years. It was an emotional moment to see him bowl his last few overs in international arena.
He was as precise as ever, extracting uneven bounce and retention the batsmen guessing. No wonder he didn't pick up any wicket in that brief spell despite beating the bat on a few occasions. The Indian cricket will categorically miss Kumble.
He was one of the toughest characters around. He didn't turn the ball as much as the legendary Shane Warne or Mutiah Muralitharan but he was no less effective. He was a fierce competitor whose never-say-die coming helped considerably in lifting the morale of the team whenever it was down.
One criticism on Kumble has been his operation rather the lack of it in overseas matches. It's unfair to blame him for the inconsistency of the Indians abroad. He categorically made the most of the favourable conditions on home pitches but he was hardly ever found wanting anywhere.
Kumble, like any other spin bowler, became more lethal when attacking. He obviously didn't get the opportunity of testing the batsmen when the Indians didn't have sufficient runs in the bank. He did prove less sufficient in games where India had to adopt defensive coming but he was one weapon trusted the most by his captains.
Kumble looked a gutsy captain but he refrained from taking undue risks. He handled the team very well on that demanding tour of Australia last season. He has left the scene on a high note with India important 1-0 in the home series and seeing certain for regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Champion Leggie Kumble Bows Out on a HighTags : todays world news headlines
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