Kumble the braveheart, who never said die

Anil Kumble was a colossus who bestrode the game with pride, passion and patriotism. He will always be remembered as a braveheart, who never said die. His retirement ends an era in Indian cricket

NEW DELHI
On taking the decision…
It’s always tough when you’ve played for 18 years. Delhi has been special. It would have been ideal if we had won this Test. The body was asking questions every day.

On when he broke the news…
I did inform my teammates one by one during the day. Then I informed the chairman of the selection committee. I did inform the board as well. I made the decision the previous night.

Did criticism and dip in his form affect him?
I don’t think the decision was based on criticism. This criticism started 18 years ago, when people said I couldn’t play two Tests for India. At this point in time I don’t think it will be possible for me to go through the grind of playing Test cricket.

Post-shoulder surgery phase was more rewarding…
There are different phases when you play for such a long time. People questioning me about my ability, fitness, form, bowling … I had to go through that then, now right, at the end of my career and even in the middle. The second phase was certainly more satisfying. We had a lot more victories, not just in India but also abroad.

What kept him going…
Self belief… People within your dressing-room need to respect you, the opposition needs to respect you. I can proudly say that I have given my 100 per cent right through my career. That’s what matters. There are certain times when things don’t go your way. The last 5-6 matches I played, things have not gone my way personally, but as a team we have shown a lot of resilience.

On the cut that triggered the decision…
I don’t know how I cut myself. It was a pretty nasty cut. There are 11 stitches. The doctor said that I had to undergo the procedure under general anaesthesia. I did tell him, ‘if you give me general anaesthesia, I’ll lose time, I’d like to go there and bowl.’ He said ‘look, it’s a medical decision, not a cricketing decision.’ The stitches would only come out on Nov 8, which would be the 3rd day of the Nagpur Test. I don’t think it would be easy for me. I wouldn’t have been 100 per cent and I didn’t want to let the team down. Anyway I had more or less decided this would be my last series.

How would he like to be remembered?
I’d like to be remembered for giving 100 per cent for the team every time I went out there. I definitely put the team above self, right through my career. To have shared the dressing-room with the likes of Sachin, Laxman, Rahul, Sourav and the younger lot, Viru, MS, Harbhajan, Zak and the rest of them. I’ve had some fantastic moments. When I started there was Kapil paaji, Azhar, Ravi … I believe Indian cricket has certainly gone further from the time when I started, in terms of results, not just in India but also abroad.  I don’t think we are that far behind in Tests as well and it will be great to see that happen. That’s what every individual wants. That’s how I would like to be remembered, as someone who raised the bar for the team.

What has the India Cap meant to him over the years?
I’ve cherished this cap. It’s a privilege. I know how hard I had to fight to get this cap and how hard it is to play at the international level. It’s a proud moment to represent a billion people whose expectations keep rising each time you go out there. It’s not easy to satisfy all those people. But I’d like to thank all those people for the affection. I’ve shared a lot of time in the dressing-room with Sachin. I’ve probably watched every run which he has scored. When he took the cap, I said to him, ‘One last time’. It all started here in 1999 when he took the cap from me and said you’ll get a wicket this over. That continued till today but unfortunately I didn’t get a wicket in the last hour.

On missing out on Nagpur Test…
I would have liked to finish in Nagpur. I don’t think I will be travelling with the team but I will certainly go to Nagpur. I want to see Sourav’s last match and also Laxman’s 100th. And win the series.

Did captaincy come too late?
I am really lucky and happy that at least I got it. At this moment, I would like to thank my family, my parents, who gave me all the encouragement, supported me and my brother who asked me to bowl leg-spin… although I am still trying to find out how I can bowl leg-spin. I would like to thank my wife and kids, who have been of great support. It’ll be nice to spend some time with them.