Captain Kumble

Anil Kumble is a giant among cricketers. His performance on the first day of the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG against Australia has set the performance standard for the Indian team on this tour. Today he had figures of 5-84 in 25 overs of a masterclass in spin bowling on a first day track.

In his last 4 Tests in Australia Anil Kumble has taken 29 wickets! Just to put that in perspective, Shane Warne took 23 wickets in the five Ashes Tests against England in the 2006 Australian season. In this Test, Kumble will have one more innings to add to those figures. It is not too shabby for a guy who doesn't turn the ball.

On a flat first day pitch at the MCG, Kumble used the googly, the top spinner, the leg break and the width of the bowling crease to conjure up 5 of the most magical wickets. And he did this after the Australian openers had piled on 135 runs without losing a wicket. It was a performance of gigantic impact.

It is pretty strange listening to commentators who while showering praise on Kumble's bowling, still describe him as leg spinner who unlike Warne doesn't turn the ball much. One would think that after nearly 600 Test wickets the time has come to stop pre-facing all analysis of Kumble's bowling with phrases such as "Unlike other spinners, Kumble is not a big turner ..." Enough already, we know that!! Kumble is Kumble, a giant among cricketers who with his inspiring leadership is proving that he is a Giant Among Men.