Revisiting the magical bowling spell by Anil Kumble

Anil Radhakrishna Kumble was born on the 17^th October, 1970 in a Kannada Brahmin Family in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Kumble has his last name origins from his ancestral town Kumbla in Kasaragod district Kerala. 

He finished his schooling at National Public School, Bengaluru and went on to become the Mechanical Engineer by profession, since his childhood he had immense interest in cricket so at the age of 13 he joined a club called “Young Cricketers” in Bengaluru, and then there was no looking back for him, he made his first class debut for Karnataka state under 19 team in the year 1989 and that became the launching pad for him and he made his one day international debut against Srilanka at Sharjah in the year 1990.The Bengaluru Boy is popularly known by the nickname “Jumbo” in International Cricket Circuit.

 It was the day of 7^th February, 1990 when India was hosting Pakistan at their home turf for their second test match at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi, the stage was set and no one knew that Anil Kumble was in for a chance to create a record winning history and enter the record books by taking all of the 10 wickets of the Pakistan Team, & went on to become the second bowler in the cricket history to deliver a magical spell of 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan after the great bowler of England Sir Jim Laker achieved that in 1956

It was not Pakistani Batsman’s poor batting but it was Kumble’s bowling brilliance that was the highlight of that innings, to get the entire Pakistan team all out in that fashion was a big achievement, out of the whole 10 wickets which he took in that match the special one was of the great left arm opening batsman of all time Saeed Anwar, Anwar was batting beautifully on a score of 69, that’s when kumble did the trick he came around the wicket to bowl, the initial few deliveries were nudged by Anwar but then he bowled an absolute beauty he tossed the bowl up drove Saeed Anwar into the shot, the ball touched the edge of his bat & was caught behind by VVS Laxman . It was sheer brilliance and great bowling technique of Anil Kumble which was on display then.

This feat made him earn the title of “Cricket’s Son of India” being honoured by the Karnataka State Government, not only his home state gave him a special recognition in the KSCA Cricket stadium in Bengaluru by building the separate room of his achievements in the stadium but the government also gifted him the luxurious sports car of the K10 number series in the year 1999.

In 2015 this year Anil Kumble has been inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

The Making of Irfan Pathan – The Journey from Gully Cricket to International Cricket

Irfan Khan Pathan was born on the 27^th of October, 1984 in Baroda, Gujarat. He is popularly known by the nick name ‘Guddu’ in the Pathan household.

He made his international as well as first class cricket debut in the year 2003/2004 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

But not many of you know how he grew up and how he made it big to the international circuit, Irfan grew up in a mosque in Baroda in an impoverished family where his father use to work as a ‘muezzin’, his parents wanted him to be an Islamic scholar but Irfan had other plans, his interest since childhood was into cricket, he started playing cricket with his brother Yusuf Pathan in the mosque compound & also on the streets of Baroda.  In the beginning his deliveries not even use to reach the end of the cricket pitch but he had sheer determination, so he used to train rigorously for daily six to seven hours in the severe heat and get himself trained to bowl fast.

Under the guidance of former Indian Captain Datta Gaekwad, Irfan got selected in the Baroda under 14 years cricket team and then there was no looking back, his performances made his cricket team to win in the domestic ranji trophy season consequently for two three years, which eventually got him selected at the age of 19 in the National Indian Cricket Team.

Irfan Pathan announced his arrival to the cricketing circuit in fashion when he was named the ‘Emerging Player’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the year 2004, which was just six months after his test debut against Australia.

He soon became the cricket’s ‘blue eyed boy’, the handsome boy from Baroda made it big in cricket in the year 2006 when India was on tour to Pakistan, It was that historic day of 29^th January 2006 at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan where India v/s Pakistan 3^rd Test match was played. In that test match Pathan emerged as India’s seam and swing bowler when he produced three magical deliveries to get rid of three of the most dangerous batsman’s of all time Pakistan has ever produced.

His first ball got Salman Butt out, the very next ball was a beauty which got Younis Khan out & then the third became his hat trick ball which got Mohammad Yusuf out, three of Pakistan’s leading run scorers were dismissed by Irfan on a golden duck.

This is how Irfan Pathan became the benchmark for all those small town players who dreamt of making it big in Cricket post that.

Shoaib Akhtar 'The Rawalpindi Express'

On the day of 13^th of August, 1975 the legend was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in the Akhtar household.

A childhood spent in mere poverty, a passion for sports bikes so much so that Shoaib was suspended to even ride a bike during his teenage, a prankster on the filed as well as off the field, and a fighter.

Shoaib Akhtar in the cricketing arena is popularly known as “The Rawalpindi Express”, Rawalpindi because Shoaib was born there and Express because he was balling sere pace, here I am sharing a deep insight with all of you as very few people know that “The Rawalpindi Express” is a slow goods train in Pakistan it’s not a fast express at all.

Shoaib Akhtar made his one day international debut in the early months of the year 1998 which was the era where in batsman were dominating the game which includes the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Saeed Anwar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Brian Lara and few others.

But the major turning point in his career came when the Pakistan national cricket team toured India in the year 1999 and one historic test match changed it all for Shoaib Akhtar that was the time after when he was nicknamed “The Rawalpindi Express” bowling at a speed, cricket has never seen before 150 mph per hour, that wonderful inswinging Yorker which he bowled to the World’s best batsman Sachin Tendulkar and got him out on a golden duck the very first bowl which he faced when the entire crowd of one of the greatest cricketing venues of all time “The Eden Gardens Kolkata’ were up on their feet and cheering for “Sachin Sachin”.

The Eden Gardens became the historic venue in the year 1999 which got to witness the heroics of Shoaib Akhtar and the world saw his arrival on the cricketing block in style.

Sachin Tendulkar's Masterclass at Sharjah v/s Australia in 1998

The Sharjah cricket ground became the historic venue where the "Little Master" from India who played all his cricket in Mumbai's Shivaji Park and the Pragati Maidan during his young age before he made his debut for India when he was just 16 years old, announced his arrival to the world of cricket in the year 1998 against Australia in the semi final of the Sharjah Cup

The stage was set for him the match target was reduced to 46 overs due to rains and the target to qualify for the finals was 246 runs,when India came to bat it was 145/4 wickets in 31.5 overs that’s when Sachin walked in with VVS Laxman.

The first ball Sachin faced of the 32^nd over was hammered for a six which landed straight in front of the side screen it was when India needed 60 runs of just 53 balls, Micheal Kasprowicz was smashed over the park in style by the little master

The cricketing world witnessed his 14^th One Day International hundred, his 3^rd against Australia and his 3^rd in Sharjah.

He brought up his 100 of 111 balls consisting of 5 fours and 3 sixes in the 38.5 overs and that was when the target was 194/4 India, then in the 40^th over they needed to hit the boundary just to take the pressure of the run rate and at that time for Australia Damien Flaming was steaming in with his fast pace deliveries, and that’s when Sachin produced from nowhere a boundary over square leg, it was just raining fours and sixes in the stadium & the entire crowd was up on their feet 

At the end of 40^th over India needed 24 runs of 30 balls to qualify for the finals and the first ball of the 42^nd over was smashed over for a wonderful six of Steve Waugh’s bowling

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar the "Little Master", the  "Master Blaster" was in his full form and till this historic innings which he played against Australia, the cricketing world wasn't taking the little master too seriously as a player, the next ball Tendulkar went big his catch was dropped at the boundary by one of the safest fielders of that time for Australia Damien Martin under severe pressure, that dropped catch went on for a boundary and the target to get was reduced to just 14 runs to get from 28 balls

After this match winning innings Sachin Tendulkar went on to become the Best Batsman in the world, the cricketing world's two best commentary legends were up on their seat as well and Sir Tony Greg went onto record mentioning about Tendulkar that "What a Player"

The 142 runs of just 131 balls against Australia even became his highest score in ODI's, they qualified for the finals against the same team and even in the finals Sachin scored 134 Runs and India went onto winning the match as well as they lifted the Sharjah cup in style and in fashion with Sachin's brilliance.