Bidding Adieu to Anil Kumble

Walked in and checked the news (and before u start thinking anything else, it was to check what happened in the match) and there it was “Jumbo to retire”. It took me a while to digest, though considering how things were after the Bangalore test it could have been expected…but I feel a sense of loss, I could see those special moments when he bowls his last bowl, smiles walking back to the pavilion, gives his last interview as a player and captain and so many things.
I am reminded of those days when he took 6/12 at the Eden, or the time in Bangalore when the match depended on him and Javagal Srinath and the camera kept shifting to her and the emotions mirrored of the millions watching all over the country, the test match in England when he scored his first century, the Antigua test when he came onto the field with his jaws strapped, those times when people talked about him being non effective abroad and then the Australia series happened and fcrzz the joy we all felt in the winter of 99 at this very ground that he decided to call it a day….
Of those days when critics passed him off as not very unpredictable, not having too much variety, tht he needed a spinner friendly wicket. He responded with the googly, with performing in places which were fast bowler friendly and taking more that 600 wickets and still there would be people who wud question him, but then that’s their job, he went on doing his and now tht he’s decided to call it a day we all wish if we could have seen him play atleast one more match, one last glimpse of the magic that walked this land by the nam of JUMBO…
this entry isn’t meant to list down his achievements, am sure there ll be others doing a grt job at tht, I just wanted to pay my homage to the man who’s brought so much joy into my life and tht of so many others and wanna wish him the very best in the life post cricket (hopefully he ll continue to play an active role in some other way)….A BIG THANK YOU…