espnstar.com concludes our 'Sporting Legends 2008' series with a tribute to India's former Test captain - Anil Kumble.
By Rajarshi Gupta
Success has never eluded Anil Kumble, a master of leg spin and a wily old fox, who mesmerised batting attacks with impunity.
When Jumbo finally decided to call it a day on a lazy Sunday afternoon, towards the end of the third Test against Australia, enough had been written against the best Indian bowler of his generation, the man who took over 600 Test wickets and nabbed over 300 unsuspecting victims in ODI's.
The Delhi Test was an irony of a champion, who was trying to catch up with old memories and bury the unpleasant shocks of the recent days, when he would be splattered for runs without wickets for entire sessions and days.
The Feroz Shah Kotla was where he rattled Pakistan with a blistering 10 for 74 to lead India to a blazing win in the second Test of the series back in 1999.
The times had changed. Harbhajan Singh had started to create ripples and a young leggie, Amit Mishra, had grabbed his chances with both hands when his moment came.
Kumble was perhaps India's best match-winner in home conditions, destroying batsmen and rupturing their confidence. Such was the aura and fear the man inflicted, opposition teams came with their intent of negotiating a threat that would pulverise their batsmen.
The lion has now decided to go back to his den. The call of the wild would no more be heard, when Jumbo set his teeth deep and the close in fielders sent out blood curdling celebratory hooplas, coming back as India did on so many occasions from the dead.
Kumble's legacy has long been respected and adored, folklores created and history re-written. The downhill journey began this year. Injuries and a scary loss of form sent shudders around the country. The mystery has been finally cracked. The year that was, was in no way a reflection of a struggle for form and character. Teams started to take a toll on Jumbo with neatly placed strategies and impeccable plots.
The giant had been exposed. The years of battle, seasons of rugged wars and the warrior knew his time was up. As captain, he led from the front and played his cricket with dignity and certain poise and calm that did not go down well with young India.
He held his own and stood up for the team and his young comrade when Bhajji was accused of inflicting racial taunts on Andrew Symonds Down Under. He sent out a war cry and his men responded, crushing Australia in Perth, marking the rise of new champions.
Kumble would always be remembered for his resilience and the charisma, albeit silent, that brought about the spirit old world charmers would be proud of.
