Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble has rated Brian Lara as the best batsman he ever bowled to in his career. Kumble admitted that he bowled to some fine batsmen of the previous era but the West Indies batsman was difficult to bowl to. In fact, Kumble admitted that Lara had four kinds of shots against a particular ball. The Indian leg-spinner was able to dismiss Lara on three occasions in the Test matches whereas got rid of the left-hander on a solitary occasion in the ODI format.
Out of these three dismissals in the Test matches, one famous dismissal came when Kumble bowled with a broken jaw against Lara in Antigua 2002. It was always a great battle between Kumble and Lara as both of them were known to give 120% on the field.
Anil Kumble was known to give his 120%
Kumble went on to become India’s most successful bowler. The leg-spinner was known for bowling a tight line and length. The Karanataka spinner scalped 619 wickets in the Test fold whereas he snared 337 wickets in the ODI version.
“There were many batsmen who were very difficult to bowl at. Brian Lara was probably at the top,” said Kumble in an interview with former Zimbabwe cricketer Pommie Mbangwa on Instagram live interaction.
“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 thirdman,” Kumble added.
On the other hand, Anil Kumble considers himself lucky that he didn’t have to bowl against the likes of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly as they were part of his team. Kumble added that he was happy to bowl to these batsmen in the nets than to worry to bowl to them in the match.
“Fortunately most of them were a part of my team. It was very good that I had Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Sehwag – all these guys in the nets rather than thinking in the previous evening that I have to bowl at these guys in a match,” Kumble said.
Anil Kumble had a fine career for the Indian team and served the side for a long time. Kumble played with great passion throughout his career and gave his best to the team.