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Kumble relives ten-wicket haul at video launch

Leg spinner Anil Kumble relived his record ten-wicket haul in a Test innings at the launch of a video cassette to commemorate the feat, in Sharjah on Wednesday.

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was skipper then, recollected the cricketing achievements of players under his leadership and when he was a member of the team. Sharing the dais with Kumble, chairman of the Cricketers' Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) Abdur Rehman Bukhatir, CBFS chief coordinator Asif Iqbal and Pakistan captain Moin Khan, Azharuddin said it was a pleasure to lead the side and see Kumble take all the ten wickets in Pakistan's second innings of the second Test, at Ferozeshah Kotla in February last year, which enabled India to level the series.

Azhar, who last led India in the World Cup in England before staging a comeback into the team after seven months in the wilderness for the home series against South Africa, recollected three memorable moments while he was part of the team.

''I feel fortunate to be witness to three record-breaking performances as part of the Indian team ... Kumble's ten-wicket haul, Kapil Dev becoming the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, overhauling New Zealander Sir Richard Hadlee's mark of 431 wickets, and Sunil Gavaskar reaching the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket.''

Azhar also mentioned Sachin Tendulkar's century in the Madras Test against Steve Waugh's Australians in 1998, which India won, thus laying the foundation for its 2-1 series victory.

When Kapil achieved the record at Ahmedabad against Sri Lanka, Azhar was the captain. When Gavaskar's posted his record, he was just a member of the team.

Asked to speak after the launch of the cassette by Bukhatir, Azhar said: ''Kumble made his debut when I was the captain. It was a challenge to field at silly point off his bowling, as the ball really came fast. Perhaps it helped me improve my fielding further and made me take 35 catches off his bowling.''

Recollecting February 7, 1999, the day on which Kumble equalled Jim Laker's record of ten Test wickets in an innings, Azhar, while paying tribute to the bowler's performance, had a jibe at his critics.

He said: ''When we went for lunch, Pakistan were 101 for no loss off just 15 overs and looked set for the target of 420 runs ... I had a defensive field spread all over to contain the batsmen... though there was some criticism of it ... and then Kumble created history.''

For his part, Kumble said: ''Looking at the video, even today I cannot believe it!''

He thanked the team members and the cricket board for the cooperation he received. The ace spinner recollected how he started off as a medium pace bowler and complimented his brother, Dinesh, who was also present, for making him switch over to leg-spin.

''Perhaps, some people still believe that I bowl leg-spin,'' he said with a surreptitious smile.

Moin Khan, who was a member of the Pakistani team under Wasim Akram then and one of Kumble's ten victims, said, ''He was simply unplayable that day ... I wish him such laurels in future.''

Asked which among the thousands of congratulatory messages he received after achieving the feat would he pick as the best, the 'gentleman' bowler said: ''I will choose Shane Warne's which said 'it could not have happened to a nicer guy'.''

Asif Iqbal asked him whether he rated the achievement higher since it was against arch rivals Pakistan. But Kumble, without a blink answered, ''For me the primary objective was to win the match. We had not won a series against Pakistan for 25 years or so and were already 0-1 down in the two Test series.

''It is a different matter that I happened to take all the ten wickets to help square the series.''

The 55-minute video, apart from giving an account of each of his ten wickets in the now historic Test match (10 for 74), also traces Kumble's career achievements in one-day internationals in which he has taken over 200 wickets, with a best of 6 for 12.

The presentation, produced by Anil Kumble Sports Promotion Private Limited, includes exclusive footage of Jim Laker besides comments on him from leading cricketers like Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne and Wasim Akram.

UNI