END OF AN ERA!!

Yes, it’s really an end of an era. Anil Kumble, fondly known as “JUMBO” played his last test match at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi today. Fans will remember the 10 wicket haul, when Jumbo single handedly bowled the Pakistan team out. Pakistan team was Kumbled, I mean humbled!! The memories of that match are still fresh. It feels that it was not too long ago when Wasim Akram nicked the ball to the short leg, where VVS Laxman was eagerly waiting and bucketed the catch to gave Kumble his 10th wicket. It was the same ground, where he bowled his last ball of the illustrous cricketing career that stretched for almost two decades.

It was an emotional moment when he walked round the stadium lifting his team India cap and people giving him a standing ovation. Sitting at home and watching on TV was as touchy. Reactions came in from many former players, legends of the game, like Kapil Dev, Bishen Singh Bedi on what they felt about Anil's talent and his service to the game. Statistics easily would be enough to substantiate comments like “one of the world’s best spinner”, “Best Indian bowler”, dedicated, fighter to the core and many more adjectives that describe him. I think you would remember the test match in Carabean, when Anil was operated on his jaws, but he came back, bowled and took Brian Lara’s wicket. Such was his commitment to the game and duty towards the team and the nation.

He gives all the credit of his success to the people, family, his elder brother who had suggested him to switch to leg spin from fast bowling and presposterously says, "I am still trying to figure out how to bowl a leg spin!" Irrespective of the bowling style, Anil has gained a lot of respect over the 18 years, he played the game.

Never can one memorize him misbehaving on the cricket field. We all are cognizant of the kind of maturity he showed during the Sydney Test when India had toured Oz in 2007. “There were two teams who played the game, but only one team played in the spirit of the game”, a man of few words had to say about the sledging incident.

But…Anil Kumble won’t be seen again on the cricket field. One can hope he continues to be around the cricket field in the form of coach or commentator or match referee or even as an eager audience. It was fitting that such a great player and student of the game ended his career as a captain of a team consisting of likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Ganguly and Dravid.

Frankly speaking, it is because of the players like Anil Kumble, one can say, “It’s not cricket who make cricketers, but cricketers who make cricket”. No doubt, Anil was one of the few gentlemen to have played the gentleman’s game in a gentleman's way!!.