Jhakas | Sanjay Jha
In today's times humility is not just a conspicuous human trait. It is almost unknown, unheard of personality streak. Ergo, the extreme surprise by several sports correspondents at Indian captain Anil Kumble's imperturbable demeanor, his collected response, the casual acceptance of a heroic milestone of 600 Test wickets.
The third highest wicket-taker in the history of the game, interesting eclipsed as of now by two mighty spinners of his own generation, was his innate unassuming self. More than the incredible accumulation of several victims, he was delighted that the Andrew Symonds dismissal was a vital breakthrough. Continue reading below
The fact that the catch was taken by his neighbourhood colleague Rahul Dravid was perhaps the silver icing on the cake. For Kumble, personal statistical delights are meaningless, lion-hearted as they might be, if they do not bring national glory. That's leadership for you, ladies and gentlemen!
Two eminent cricket media personalities whom I personally respect very much for their analytical strengths, Ayaz Memon and Pradeep Magazine, have both publicly admitted that they had completely underestimated the leadership capabilities of Anil Kumble, and had earlier believed his appointment as captain was both "retrograde and regressive."
Memon goes on to add that perhaps "Anil is the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket." There are not many who will disagree with him. At least, not now. He handled the Sydney Shame with extraordinary finesse, demonstrating a sharp mind, intelligent grasping of political realities, speaking with appropriate diplomacy, and essentially assuming the role of India's astute brand ambassador.
The benevolent gesture of granting immunity to Brad Hogg was a deadly master-stroke. It actually took the wind out of the sails of Ricky Ponting's petulant men.
It is therefore extremely funny and acutely paradoxical that the Indian media should now run extensive prime time coverage on whether Anil Kumble has got his dues for his extraordinary efforts over the last 18 years or not. You don't have to be a genius to figure out the answer to that inane rhetorical diagnosis.
It sounds trite and so appallingly fake. Because it is us Indian media folk who are the ones who have principally created the instant superstars of the steamy noodles variety, callously cavorting every young swashbuckling hero who plays one good ODI or T20 knock. And contumaciously ignored Kumble. And a few others.
As the Australian Test series clearly manifests, it is the longer format of the game that distinguishes the men from the boys. Kumble was at pains to explain sometime back that amongst the biggest unsung heroes of Indian cricket is VVS Laxman. And even as I pen this column, VVS is battling hard with RP Singh to increase the crucial lead for India in the dramatically poised Perth Test, hitting an exquisite boundary and crossing 1000 runs scored in Australia.
Let me assure you, Yuvraj Singh will know the value of those runs on the most arduous tours of the world. And sometime ago, VVS was a forgotten chapter of Indian cricket!
In a fortnight from now, the ODI series will begin, and VVS and Anil Kumble will be quietly consigned to the back-pages and video archives by the same media that today questions their intolerable neglect.
I guess the media will have a thumping bitter response to my exasperating condemnation of their double standards; after all, the media only reflects the ground realities, don't they? But the truth is that in a hugely commercial enterprise that cricket has become, the media earns millions of dollars themselves on cricketing content, and visibility does matter.
Positioning does. And so media does dictate terms and creates mind-share, notwithstanding individual performance which obviously would be a key determinant. The bottomline is that media can and does create demi-gods, deserved or otherwise, based on their own predilections.
If the import of Kumble's 10-wicket haul against Pakistan at Ferozeshah Kotla, Delhi is still relatively under-marketed, it is because we have never really understood the magnitude of that remarkable accomplishment. Perhaps it was too mind-boggling to be fathomed by ordinary mortals.
Tomorrow, Anil leads India into what could be a historic victory at Perth, the supposed treacherous snake-pit for Indian batsmen, where if the Cassandra's were to be believed, Ponting would have kept date with a record 17th Test victory in one stretch.
But India will be blocking, perhaps by some heavenly obstruction, the Australians for the second time in that record feat's continued extension. Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh will give it all, sensing a terrific unforeseen triumph. The Indian fielders will throw themselves at every ball, hold on to anything that comes remotely close to catching distance.
And towering above them all, not just by his physical proportions, but by sheer grit and visceral strength, will be their leader; Anil Kumble.
