Published: Oct 17, 2015, 07:06 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 17, 2015, 07:06 PM (IST)
Growing up in India in the 1990s you were expected to be a cricket follower, if not a fan, and, to belong to the group of elites, a Sachin Tendulkar devotee, no less! I succumbed to the pressure of the first, but obstinately refused to fall for the last. No, I was not a Sachin-hater; not even the most parochial Bengalis obsessed with Dada imagined of being a ‘hater’ of Indian cricket’s wonder-boy! But since everyone else was too head over heels for him, I needed a different icon. My hero was to be someone else, and it was not before 1993 I found the right one. READ: Anil Kumble: India’s greatest match-winning bowler
It was probably the winter of 1992-93. I returned home from school, and caught a few glimpses of a Test. And there he was! A tall, lanky, bespectacled, moustachioed young man, bowling to English batsmen who had no clue how to deal with him. However, it was not until the India tour of New Zealand of 1993-94 that I became a declared fan of Anil Kumble, the bespectacled leg-spinner, who, they said, could not turn the ball.
But this is not a critical analysis of his bowling abilities. This is just a fan, fondly remembering her cricketing hero; I will, therefore, not go into the details of how he has been the most accurate bowler for India, and over years developed the googly to perfection; even though he could not turn the ball as profusely as that Australian blonde, he was India’s match-winner bowler for a long time.
Time went by, and I graduated from being a humble fan to a devotee. And Kumble made sure the transition was fast-paced and smooth. Hero cup had already happened before this transition, but there were more to come. I refused to be labelled as that girl who watches the game just to look at Kumble: I took my duty as a devotee quite seriously. I bought cricket magazines, religiously read articles by cricket analysts, paid attention to the commentators, and maintained scrapbooks where I pasted all the things that were being said about Anil Kumble, match reports, score cards, et al (not to forget, each and every picture to come out in the newspapers/ magazines). READ: Anil Kumble: 7 moments that define the legend’s international cricket career
I even started arguing with people on cricketing issues, and even boys took me seriously as a cricket enthusiast (“She does understand the game, you know!”). This was not a mean feat if you consider that this was the pre-Mandira Bedi era, and girls were seldom taken seriously in cricket discussions. However, every time someone said, “he can’t spin the ball”, I would provide them with information why Kumble could be a handful, not only on turning tracks, but on track that offered some bounce, or ones that did not do either.
Being a fan of Kumble, World Cup 1996 will probably be one of the most cherished editions of the tournament for me on a personal note — at least till the Eden Gardens fiasco.
But, did I only care about the big tournaments? No, sir! There was this little-followed series in Toronto that I kept track of — Sahara Cup, 1996 — where he picked up 4 for 12!
Then there was Titan cup, where, in a match, a partnership between Kumble and Javagal Srinath brought India glory. It was a Durga Puja night, and victory could not have been sweeter!
Then in 1996, there was another epic batting performance from the man against the Proteas in Eden Gardens in a partnership with Mohammad Azharuddin. I have a personal attachment to this one, for it was a terrible day for me; looking back today I realise how the performance helped me cope with a bad memory, and that was not the only time when a performance by Jumbo helped me overcome personal defeats. READ: IPL 2009: Anil Kumble mauls defending champions Rajasthan Royals with 5 for 5
On that note, I remember February 1999, another depressing day for me personally, another spellbinding act by the man; at the end of the day I found myself crying, but those were tears of happiness! Right after that I had my Class XI board exams. I remember, every time I felt bored while studying, I would read a magazine dedicated to the 10 for 74 feat, and all the dedication, hard work, and passion egged me on to work harder.
But the most awe inspiring event was yet to come. That came in 2002, when the whole world watched with disbelief: after being hit on the jaw by a ball, Kumble came back to the field with his jaw bandaged, and scalped none other than Brian Lara! For me, that remained the best example of cricket romance! When a man not supposed to move his head came out on the ground, ran in, and bowled — and dismissed a legend! I consider myself lucky to have seen that live, albeit on a television.
I can just go on and on about the man, because there are achievements galore. But, the point of this post is not to talk about each and every achievement of Kumble. This is a post by a fan, intending to thank her hero for being such an inspiration during the period of growing up.
Thank you, Sir, for my love for cricket came from my admiration for you. Thank you, for all the memories that you gave us, a nation of cricket fanatics, who have seen too many fallen idols. Thank you, for even in the hours of deepest gloom, your perseverance, courage and undying passion for the game, made me see the proverbial silver lining.
Happy birthday, Anil Kumble, they don’t make them like you anymore! READ: Anil Kumble takes all 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan
(Sayantani Adhikary is doing her PhD from Jadavpur University. She is an avid follower of cricket, and, of course, an Anil Kumble fan.)
