Tracing the Trajectory – Right arm over the wicket…

The year 2008 will no doubt go down as one of the most eventful for Indian cricket both on-field and off it. The start of the year was marked by the controversial series in Australia. Back home, in the first quarter of the year, India displayed a lackluster performance in the home series against South Africa which ended in a 1-1 draw, a creditable performance by South Africa and surely a below par one by India. Further in the year, the September series in Sri Lanka saw another poor performance by the Indians. The series did come alive after the second test, but it was all due to the sheer brilliance of Virender Sehwag. All through out, senior players came under severe pressure and were often harshly judged on the basis of isolated performances. The test series ended on a disappointing note as India’s star batsmen were simply unable to decipher the bowling of Mendhis and the Indian skipper Kumble was increasingly looking out of sorts when it came to the effectiveness of his bowling. The monsoon had just ended in India, and autumn had set in. It looked as if the winter would certainly bring along with it a wave of cold and harsh set of probing questions on the future of the senior players.

The home series against Australia changed the tempo of the Indian team and the way the Indians rallied back was a tribute to the talent and the fighting spirit of the old warhorses in the team. Two of India’s greats took the field for the last time in their career. Ganguly ended his career in a grand style, against his favourite opponents, who it seemed had been tormented more with his on-field behaviour rather than with the bat. Coming very close to being one of the few cricketers who have scored a century in their first and last test match, it was a perfect farewell for Ganguly as he scored 324 runs at an average of 54. In the midst of this series, another Indian legend took the bow in the third test at Delhi. The test match ended in a draw and with came down the curtains on a great career – one full of untiring efforts and the single-minded focus to give the best for the nation.

The choice of Kotla for his retirement couldn’t have been more befitting. This venue no doubt has been Kumble’s favourite for the sheer number of wickets that he has bagged and the record ten wickets in an innings that he took here, but probably a less known fact is that this was the very ground which saw the resurgence of a fledgling career and the 22 yards strip at Kotla changed it all for ever.

Ferozshah Kotla, September 29, 1992 – The Irani Trophy between Delhi and Rest of India: Kumble’s outstanding performance of 7/64 put Rest of India in a strong position at the end of the third day and forced the follow-on on the Delhi team. The next day Kumble was once again at his devastating best and claimed 6/74. I remember reading the headlines on the sports page of a leading newspaper saying “Delhi: c Kambli b Kumble”. This 13 wicket haul at the start of the 1992-93 domestic season meant Kumble’s test career had received a second chance after playing a solitary test against England in 1990.
Kumble was on the bus of the Indian team that was set to go to Zimbabwe, and then embark on a historic tour of South Africa.

The burst of confidence that Kumble had got was certainly visible in the series in South Africa. Though the series ended in a then all too familiar outcome in the form of 1-0 loss for India, Kumble had done remarkably well on the bouncy pitches of South Africa claiming 18 wickets in four test matches. His unorthodox style of bowling had completely bamboozled the South African batsmen who hitherto were hardly fed on any diet of spin bowling. The tall lean bespectacled engineer from Karnataka had taken big steps of advancement in his career. The end of the year 1992 saw communal tensions in India reaching unprecedented heights after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. A struggling Mohammed Azharuddin was appointed captain for only the first test of the series. Indian cricket it seemed was touching a new low on all fronts.

Vinod Kambli who missed the bus to South Africa despite his outstanding performance on the domestic circuit, was duly rewarded by getting a berth for the test team for the home series against England in early 1993. The presence of Kambli fielding at short leg or silly point immediately spurred on Kumble, and he took 6 wickets in the first test, as India led by an outstanding 182 by Azharuddin defeated England by 8 wickets in the first test at Eden Gardens. Sanctity had been restored and Azharuddin was appointed captain for the whole series. In the second test at Chennai, India batted first and raised a mammoth total of 560. Kumble destroyed the Englishmen in their second innings with a terrific performance of 6/64. This victory sparked off a million celebrations in a nation torn apart by communal disturbances. I distinctly remember the scenes at the Chepauk being shown on Doordarshan – the Indian team for strange reasons, came out riding on bicycles. Gently wheeling along the ground and were waving hands to the delirious Chepauk crowd. The Englishmen who complained of jet lag in the first test match and food poisoning in the second test match had no reason in Mumbai as the Kambli-Kumble duo started the fun at Wankhede in the third test and with it started a riot of celebrations across Mumbai and the entire nation.

A beleaguering Indian team had thrashed the England 3-0 in the most dominating and ruthless manner. Anil Kumble had emerged the hero taking 21 wickets in the three test match series. This series propelled Kumble towards becoming a potent weapon in the bowling armoury of the Indian team. Test matches can be won only by taking 20 wickets, and here was a leg spinner who spat venom in the form of kicking top spinners, freaky flippers and fastish leg breaks to completely dominate the batsmen. For all the bad blood that prevailed in the Indian cricket board and the depths of communal despair to which the country had plunged at the end of 1992, the 3-0 victory over England brought with it a wave of enthusiasm and energy to the entire nation. A team struggling to find its feet abroad was standing tall albeit on home soil. And nobody stood taller than Anil Kumble.

After the series win in Sri Lanka, Kumble established his position as the number one bowler for India in the one-day format also. Bowling with great control and a nagging accuracy he took wickets at crucial intervals and kept a check on the scoring rate also. However he reserved his best for the night of 27 November 1993 as he scalped six wickets to crush the Windies to a humiliating defeat in the Hero Cup Final. After the Hero Cup, Sri Lanka embarked on a three test series in India in early 1994. The third test match of this series at Ahmedabad saw Kapil Dev breaking Hadlee’s record of 431 wickets, but at the end of this series it was Anil Kumble who had once again got a rich haul of 18 wickets. Little did one know that this very Anil Kumble would one day reach this milestone and progress ahead to break several records on the way.

The period 1993 to 1996 summer saw India dominating heavily on their home soil, and the manner in which Kumble and co. lead the Indian bowling, there could have only been one winner no matter the opposition. This period of cricket was termed as the “Ram Rajya” of the Indian cricket by the great Mihir Bose in his book “History of Indian cricket”. In the 1996 World Cup, Kumble emerged as the highest wicket taker of the tournament taking 15 wickets in seven matches. After the 1996 World Cup, the spin trio – Kumble, Raju and Chauhan started breaking apart as Raju and Chauhan began to fade slowly. However, Kumble continued to surge ahead as the number one bowler for India in either form of cricket. The winter of 1996 once again brought the best out of Kumble as he took 9 wickets on his favourite ground Kotla in Tendulkar’s maiden test as captain, and then well supported by Srinath in the home series against South Africa took 13 wickets in three test matches.

One thing however was beginning to creep as a mark on Kumble’s career, and that was his performance on overseas wickets, which didn’t offer the kind of kicking bounce as the spin friendly pitches of India offered. Five wickets in three test matches in England in the 1996 test series was unfortunately not an exception. The year 1997 hardly brought any cheer for the spin champ who by now was no longer the bespectacled lad that he was during his second coming. A new look Indian team marked by frequent chopping in both batting and bowling changes took the toll on Kumble’s bowling. The five test matches against Sri Lanka (spread 2-3 in Sri Lanka and home) fetched him a meager 11 wickets. Kumble was beginning to lose his zip and venom.

The beginning of 1998 saw Azharuddin being handed over the captaincy once again. And once again, Kumble has sparked back to life as it was in 1993. The year 1998 saw Tendulkar showcasing his best, as the home series against Australia was won by a comfortable margin. If this series was special for Sidhu’s onslaught, Azharuddin’s wristwork and Tendulkar’s all round dominance, it was Kumble who had quietly done the job of ripping apart the Aussie batting lineup. Three tests and 23 wickets was an outstanding performance on pitches, which definitely were not dust bowls. Through out the entire year, India won several trophies powered by Tendulkar’s dream run with the bat and smoothly supported by Anil Kumble’s efficient bowling. Kumble’s tryst with destiny at the Kotla continued, as he accounted for all the ten wickets in Pakistan’s second innings on a cloudy February day in 1999. This was one of the greatest performances by a bowler in the history of cricket, and till date a testimony to this is the fact that only two bowlers have managed this feat.

Once again the aftermath of an unsuccessful World Cup campaign (1999) saw Azharuddin losing the captaincy and thereafter Tendulkar had a miserable second stint as the captain. However, Kumble by now had matured as a bowler and despite the ugly monster of match fixing raising its head, Kumble continued delivering stellar performances under Ganguly’s captaincy taking 77 wickets in 15 test matches during the span of November 2001 to October 2003. Till then, Kumble’s overseas record didn’t look very attractive, and a greater test lay when India were to tour Australia in 2003-04. Kumble missed out the 2001 series against Australia, and here was a golden opportunity to set records straight. In one of the greatest team efforts displayed by India, Kumble ended the series taking 23 wickets in three test matches and helped India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 80 test matches and 370 wickets, Kapil Dev’s record was within striking distance for Kumble, but how far would he go was the question that everybody had on their mind. But like the old fox pulling out a new trick every time, Kumble introduced subtle variations in his pace and loop, thus constantly out thinking the batsmen. Over the 18 months from March 2004 to Oct 2005, Kumble had collected 95 wickets from 17 matches to approach close to the landmark of 500 wickets. During this period, he played a major role in the series victory in Pakistan. On the wrong side of 30, Kumble was going stronger than ever and taking wickets on all surfaces more than ever.

Under Dravid’s leadership, India achieved a historic test series win in the West Indies. Kumble was once again the hero as he scalped 23 wickets in four matches. During this course, he passed the record set by Courtney Walsh. The 2007 series win in England was another important achievement under Dravid, and Kumble chipped in with 14 wickets from the three games to brialliantly support Zaheer Khan, as India sent England packing. By this time Kumble’s name was etched amongst the world’s best of all times. Overseas series wins in Pakistan, West Indies and England all saw important contributions from this gentleman.

Was there anything else left to be achieved? The answer was provided when Dravid left the captaincy, and Kumble was called upon to lead the test side in the home series against Pakistan in Nov-Dec 2007. At the ripe old age of 37, Kumble became the captain and lead India to a victory over Pakistan. It was clear that with age not on his side, Kumble would be the captain as a stopgap measure before the reins would be handed over to Dhoni. Nevertheless, Kumble led the team admirably with a quiet sense of dignity and pride. Once again a tour of Australia saw Kumble bagging a rich haul of wickets, and more remarkably the manner in which he handled the team during this controversial series spoke a lot of his upright character and sportsmanship.

Clearly the journey had been a long one for Anil Kumble ever since he made his test debut in 1990 till the moment when he led India to a famous overseas win at Perth in 2008. He had sent down more than 38,000 balls and had crossed the landmark of 600 wickets now. The joints were beginning to creak and the body beginning to give away. The home series against South Africa in March 2008 and then the July series in Sri Lanka saw Kumble’s returns dropping down to abysmally low levels. A sore shoulder was not helping the cause either. After having suffered the indignity of going wicket less for more than 50 overs at his hometown Bangalore, Kumble missed the second test at Mohali due to injury. A youthful Dhoni led India to a remarkable win as Amit Mishra spun a web of doom for the Aussies. There couldn’t have been a better moment to choose his parting moment. The series was up for grabs in the third test, and that too at Kotla. Despite posting a huge total of 613, the Indian bowlers couldn’t exert enough pressure on the Aussies, and it was only a matter of time before the test ended in a draw. On the fifth day of this match, Kumble announced his retirement, and to finish off his career in a grand style, opened the bowling for India in dying moments of the test match. It seemed the declaration was perfectly timed to allow Kumble take the ball in his hands for one last time in a grand career.

A career spanning 132 test matches and 619 wickets puts him in the league of cricketing greats across all eras. For over 15 years, Anil Kumble carried on his broad shoulders the million expectations of his team and the nation. Ball after ball, over after over, match after match and series after series he triumphed against all odds defying every element and every force that came across him. As I grew up watching Kumble all these years, it seemed his bowling had become eternal. Kumble played an important role in Indian victories. Even in series where India ended up losing, Kumble had his head held high as he ended up playing a lone hand. Azharuddin, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid, whenever they tossed the ball into the hands of Anil Kumble, they could be rest assured that here was one player who would give more than 100% and deliver against all odds. Throughout his career, Kumble carried the mantle of the lead bowler for his team, and like a true champion gave his best, and produced outstanding performances year after year. Simple, down to earth, gentle, unassuming are just some of the words that one can think for him when it came to his demeanor both on the field and off it. Never the one to talk brashly or imprudently, Kumble always measured his words, and expressed his thoughts as accurately and effectively as his bowling.

As the sun set on a wintry November evening in Delhi, the curtains had come down for a true legend at the very ground where 16 years before, in the Irani Trophy he had started his journey on the path of achieving glory and victory for his nation. For a cricket follower like me, the image of a hazy evening in India, the shadows lengthening as the day end approached, fielders crowding all around the bat, and Anil Kumble revolving the ball firmly in his hands at the start of his run-up to deliver unplayable flippers and fastish leg breaks ball after ball, is timeless.

Chennai Classic

98.3
Swann to Tendulkar, FOUR, there it is! What. An. Effort. That is a historic win and Tendulkar's 41st Test century, paddles around the corner ever so emphatically and India have clinched a superb run chase by six wickets
Tendulkar pumps his arms and Yuvraj embraces him in a massive bear hug. Chennai rises and what a win. A great Test match in fact, from start to finish. This will mean so, so much to Tendulkar and India.

Really stunning scenes in Chennai. Tendulkar scores a most brilliant hundred and India India have achieved their target of 387, which is now the fourth-highest run-chase in Tests.

(The above are excerpts from the live commentary of http://www.cricinfo.com/ during the India England first test match 2008-09 at Chennai)

This takes me back to the India Pakistan test match at Chennai almost ten years ago. I remember every ball of that series because I had my semester break during my engineering studies then. It was the morning of 31 Jan 1999, when India resumed their innings at 40/2 chasing a tricky total of 271 to win the test.

On that Sunday morning, 40/2 became 82/5 in less than two hours. Time was in plenty but there was only Mongia and the tail to support Tendulkar. For an hour, the post lunch session was a dour session as Tendulkar and Mongia blocked out ball after ball from the ever-testing Saqlain Mushtaq. There were maiden overs after another.

I remember each and every ball as it was played out doggedly by the Indian duo. And we managed to survive without any further casualties till tea. Only 59 runs were scored in 30 overs. But the intensity in this battle was visible every time a ball was bowled. This was a contest of ability, confidence, patience and determination between two determined batsmen and a penetrative Pakistan bowling attack consisting of the dangerous Akram and the vicious Saqlain Mushtaq backed up by Waqar Younis.

When tea was taken, India was 145/5, needing another 126 runs to win. There was one more day to go in the match, but what followed after tea looked ominous. And ominous it looked for both the teams. The way Tendulkar started batting after tea made it clear that he was out to score those 126 runs in the last session of the 4th day itself.

Tendulkar switched gears as he played against the line to loft the ball over midwicket-square leg region, punched some excellent straight drives, and when the slightest width was offered he cut the ball hard. The 11 overs after tea saw India scoring 63 runs as boundaries flowed freely from Tendulkar's bat. Mongia too upped the ante as he grew in confidence in the company with Tendulkar.

At 218/5 with over an hour to go for the fourth day to finish, India look all set to wrap up the match on the penultimate day itself. But then tragedy struck...Mongia who had just completed a determined fifty took on Akram and trying an adventurous shot ended up lofting the ball high in the air, and got out. A partnership of 136 spanning over three hours was broken, and it opened the gateway for Pakistan. A thriller was on the cards now...

Tendulkar who by now was grappling with intense back spasms however continued thrashing the Pakistan bowlers and in less than 6 overs had a partnership of 37 runs with Sunil Joshi. The only person standing between victory and defeat for Pakistan, was Tendulkar, and they were determined to get him out.

Ball no. 5 of the 92nd over, India at 255/6, needing another 17 runs to win: Tendulkar tried to loft the ball with the spin, but Saqlain Mushtaq had delivered a well concealed "wrong one" that held its line instead of spinning into the batsman. The ball took the leading edge and the ball ballooned to Akram who took it gleefully. That was the breakthrough which Pakistan was waiting for since the whole day, and this was the thing that India was dreading the most. The whole Pakistani team erupted in delirious celebrations as Tendulkar trudged back slowly and painfully to the pavilion.

With 17 runs left, and the likes of Kumble and Srinath to come, India could have still made it but the dismissal of Tendulkar had clearly broken the resolve of the Indian team. Wrapping up the remaining three wickets was a mere formality for the Pakistan team. In the hindsight I feel that even if India had required two runs to win with three wickets in hand, still they would have lost the match. Such was the impact of Tendulkar's dismissal, not only statistically but psychologically.

Some of the wounds got healed when Anil Kumble took 10 wickets in a single innings in the next match and India trounced Pakistan by a huge margin.

But somewhere inside Tendulkar's heart, the wound had got etched. A less than intelligent media and mindless critics kept on fueling the fire that his worth in the fourth innings of a test is nothing. Cricket has always been a team game, and the outcome of a match depends on a lot of factors besides an individual’s performance. Such are the expectations from Tendulkar that anything he does, no matter howsoever significant it maybe, there are always more expectations from him.

Yesterday evening, Sehwag gave India an out-of-the-world start and laid the platform for a grand finale. Today, as India resumed batting on the fifth day at Chennai, I had an eerie sense of deja vu. When Laxman fell and as India wobbled at 224/4 with the inconsistent Yuvraj to follow, I could only get flashes of that 1999 Chennai test, but 2008 turned out to be different. Not only was Tendulkar more determined – he eschewed any rash shot and played cautiously but positively – but he also received solid support from Yuvraj.

In the end, it was a poetic justice that the winning shot came from Tendulkar in the form of a boundary, and that too when an off-spinner was bowling. I did not see today's play live, but while following the live scorecard, as India were building their chase towards victory I got that feeling of deja vu. A similar situation had indeed developed – Chennai, a stiff fourth innings target, Tendulkar battling and an offspinner trying to fox him into playing a wrong shot, but that was then, and this is now...