India’s No. 1 cricketer, say former players

A leg-spinner who couldn’t turn the ball when he first played for India in 1990 has joined the elite 600 Test wickets club! As the country marvelled at Anil Kumble’s jumbo achievement, former Test players too saluted the Team India Test captain.

The following are excerpts from what they had to say (alphabetically):

DEEP DASGUPTA: Anil’s career shows what determination and focus can do for a cricketer. None gave him a chance when he first played international cricket, but look where he is after all these years. Guys like (Muttiah) Muralidharan and (Shane) Warne are naturally talented… Anil is not half as talented as them, yet… I would say Anil is the only one of the trio to have achieved 100 per cent. He’s turned out to be a natural leader as well, adding to his many virtues. In my book, he is India’s No. 1 Test cricketer…

ARAVINDA DE SILVA: It’s not an easy thing to achieve. He has worked so hard in his career and has been India’s main strike bowler for quite a while.

DEVANG GANDHI: He was considered to be an ordinary bowler when he broke into the international scene with critics saying that he was more a medium-pacer than a leg-spinner. Look where that bowler has gone now. It’s not just the volume of wickets which puts Anil in a league of his own, the number of matchwinning performances he has produced is phenomenal too. I would rate him as one of India’s top five Test players of all time.

SUNIL JOSHI: It’s a great achievement and hearty congratulations to Anil. It is good to see him perform and silence the opposition especially in the light of all that has been happening in this series. Anil has let his performance speak.

ARUN LAL: It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. Anil’s a great ambassador of the game, a non-controversial cricketer who is dignified in success and failure. He’s an ideal role model and a living legend. Even at the age of 37, he continues to evolve. For many years, we couldn’t think of a performance beyond Kapil (Dev), but he has stretched the parameters further. I would place him on a par with Sachin (Tendulkar) among top achievers in Indian Test history. Six hundred Test wickets is an awesome figure… Even if one were to equate one wicket with 20 runs, it would give him 12000 runs!

ASHOK MALHOTRA: It’s a mind-blowing achievement considering the fact that so many experts asked how an ordinary bowler like him could play for India when he made his international debut in 1990. It’s a tribute to his hard work, single-minded approach and strong will to improve. Every time he was written off, he came back stronger. He went up in my esteem when he raised his hand to say he will take the responsibility of captaincy, unlike some other greats… Hehas emerged as India’s No. 1 cricketer .

BRIJESH PATEL: Congratulations to Anil Kumble. We hope he gets on to 700 wickets soon. The achievement reflects his dedication, determination and discipline.

ARJUNA RANATUNGA: He has been a great servant of Indian cricket and has rendered yeoman service to the team. Whether it’s at home or abroad, he has always given more than 100 per cent and thoroughly deserves the milestone.

News Source : Samachar