Greetings, rewards pour in for Kumble (10 February 1999)

10 February 1999

Greetings, rewards pour in for Kumble

Samiul Hasan

NEW DELHI, Feb 9: Superstition and other small things had played their part in the almost once-in-a-lifetime achievement by leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

After Pakistan got off to a flying start and we were not getting the breakthrough, instead of my giving the cap to the umpire before starting an over, Sachin (Tendulkar) started doing that for me and we started getting the wickets, admitted Kumble who on Sunday became only the second bowler in the cricket history to capture all 10 wickets in an innings.

When I had completed nine wickets and Srinath was bowling from the other end, he bowled a couple of wides to enable me to get the 10th one. I did not ask him to do it, though, Kumble, whose single-handed effort helped India thrash Pakistan by 212 runs, said.

Kumble, who now has 234 wickets in 51 Tests, attributed the success to an all-round team effort. The win was a team effort. And I dedicate my performance to God, my family and my team-mates.

Kumble was full of praise for opener Sadagoppan Ramesh and skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. Our batsmen deserve credit for the way they batted on this wicket. But Ramesh got runs in both the innings and Azharuddin scored in the first innings. With so many runs to play with, it became easier for the bowlers.

Kumble was sorry for his young fellow bowler Harbhajan Singh. I feel sorry for Harbhajan. He also bowled well but I think it was simply my day. I just got into a rhythm and the wicket was also helpful.

It is just a dream for me. I just cannot believe it. When I claimed the last wicket that of Wasim Akram, I was overjoyed by the fact that we had won the match. It was only after that that I realized I had also taken 10 wickets.

Whenever I return home from a Test match, my mother tells me to get a hat trick. I think she will ask me to take 10 wickets from now on, says a modest Kumble.

Twenty-four hours after achieving a rare feat, congratulations, honours and rewards poured in for Anil Kumble.

Bishen Singh Bedi, former Indian captain and his country leading wicket-taker among the spinners, called Kumble performance as one hell of an achievement and I confess I could not have dreamed of it (10 wickets in an innings) in a club match leave alone a Test game.

Bedi recalled that Kumble was the same person who had come into the dressing room in tears after dropping a catch on his debut. He has come a long way and he can't do better than that.

S.Venkatraghavan, former Indian spinner and now a Test umpire, said: I know how difficult it is to get a wicket and to get 10 wickets in an innings is a remarkable and unbelievable feat .

Mushtaq Ali, India one of the finest batsman, said he wanted to salute Kumble for his heroic performance.

Erapalli Prasanna, member of India spinning foursome of the 70s, described Kumble effort as out of the world. It a magnificent performance and out of the world effort. Anil (Kumble) richly deserves it.

Former Test captain Gulabrai Ramchand said the pitch where the Australians were 'Lakered in 1956 at Old Trafford was a far more difficult one than the Kotla strip. I watched that 19-wicket feat of Laker and the pitch was pretty bad.

I don't think the Kotla pitch was as bad as the one where Laker took all those wickets. The 100-plus stand put by Pakistan openers Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi and the 330-plus total piled up by the Indians in the second innings show that the Kotla pitch was not as bad as was made out to be, Ramchand remarked.

In appreciation of Kumble record, the government on Monday announced ten free tickets each of Air India and Indian Airlines for the spinner and two of his family members to visit any place in the country and abroad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced cash award of Rs 100,000 for Kumble and Rs 500,000 for the team.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)