Most Of The Best Batsmen Of The Time Were Part Of My Team: Anil Kumble When Asked About The Toughest Batsmen He Encountered During His Career

Anil Kumble, former Indian leg-spinner, is one of the biggest match-winners that the country has ever produced. The highest wicket-taker for India in both ODI and Test match cricket and the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of five-day cricket, Kumble was an epitome of hard work, relentless toil, and character, someone who would bowl day in and day out for his side in extreme conditions.

Kumble terrorized a plethora of batsmen around the world through his guile, skills, and accuracy during his 18-year-old career. But, was there any batsman whom he found difficult to dislodge? The same question was asked by former Zimbabwe cricketer-turned commentator Pommie Mbangwa during a recent live session.

Replying to Mbwanwa’s question, Anil Kumble said that he was fortunate that most of the best players of spin bowling- Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly- were in his team and hence it helped that he practiced against such batsmen in the nets.

“There were a lots of them. But fortunately, most of the best batsmen of the time were part of my team. It was good that I had Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly Laxman, Sehwag… all these guys in the nets, rather than thinking the previous evening that ‘oh, I have to bowl to these guys in a match’,” Kumble said.

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‘Brian Lara was probably at the top’- Anil Kumble

Kumble, however, went on to pick former West Indies captain Brian Lara as the most difficult to bowl at. Kumble said that one of the biggest difficulties that he encountered while bowling to Brian Lara was that he had four different shots for every delivery.

“So, that was very special. But then, there were many batsmen who have been very difficult to bowl at. Brian Lara was probably at the top,” Anil Kumble said.

“He had four different shots to every delivery that you bowled and that was the biggest challenge, you thought you could beat him, you would get him but then he would change his shot and sort of tap you through third man,” he added.

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