Though the selectors and ex-players are still backing him, it seems Anil Kumble has lost a bit of his zing. The jury is out on whether he can overcome a sore shoulder and turn the clock back
MUMBAI: Though the pre-Bangalore Test scrutiny focused on the Fab Four and whether they would be able to give a good account of themselves after the recent dismal performance in Sri Lanka, the veteran middle-order batsmen (Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly) salvaged their pride, stonewalling Australia to a draw.
But with Indian skipper Anil Kumble struggling to get the best out of himself it has become quite a cause for concern.
Kumble remains a champion performer. After being crowned with captaincy last year, the 38-year-old did quite a decent job as skipper against Pakistan followed by the momentous tour Down Under. The veteran leg-spinner also handled the controversial Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds episode with great élan.
With the start of the new season, however, Kumble’s career graph as a bowler has nosedived.
He has always been effective on Indian pitches. However, the first warning signs came when he struggled to create an impact against South Africa in the home series, grabbing only five wickets in two Tests. With the Proteas’ well-documented vulnerability against leg-spin, the writing was on the wall.
It was followed by a very mediocre Test series against Sri Lanka. The Indian captain scalped only eight wickets from three matches. In the recent Test against Australia in Bangalore, he went wicketless. His right shoulder injury could have only aggravated his level of difficulty. It is a staggering scenario that such a champion bowler as Kumble, who has won countless matches for India, is struggling to find a foothold in the Indian sub-continent.
The selectors, however, still have faith in him and are sure that Kumble will bounce back.
“He is a very good player. He has been performing consistently since he started playing for India. He is a champion bowler and these phases are there in a cricketer’s life. An issue cannot be made out of it. I cannot take away the credit from the fact that he has saved India many a time. It is quite clear that a bowler like him will bounce back soon,” said Narendra Hirwani, a member of the Indian selection panel.
Has he complained about his shoulder injury?
“No we haven’t got anything. He will play the next match and the rest of the series. I hope and pray to god that he bounces back again and shines like he has done before,” he added.
Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, however, said Kumble’s bad patch is a cause for concern. “Naturally it is a cause for worry. He is our frontline bowler who has taken so many wickets. The question has to be raised since he has not been able to perform in the last couple of series. I think his shoulder injury might have caused it too.
“I think we should have gone with three spinners because our wickets are mostly spinning tracks. I honestly think Murali Kartik should have been the third bowler as he tosses and turns the ball well on turning tracks. In the Bangalore Test, the wickets first assisted the seamers then it helped spin bowlers and I think Harbhajan and Kumble did okay.” But Azhar thinks Kumble will bounce back soon. “You can’t blame an individual. The captain is as good as the team. I think he is an outstanding player who has got lot of experience. I am sure he knows that he is not been able to perform well and I am sure he is disappointed and will look to bounce back soon,” he added.
