Anil Kumble was the greatest ever who played for India – Harbhajan Singh

Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has heaped praise on his former bowling partner Anil Kumble. Harbhajan stated that Kumble was the greatest ever who played for the national side and he was also the greatest match winner ever produced by the country. Kumble was well known for his disciplined line and length.

The leg-spinner from Karnataka was not known to spin the ball a great deal however he would always be right on the money with his accuracy. Kumble would mostly attack the batsman’s stumps and thus most of his dismissals would be either bowled or leg-before wicket.

The former legendary spinner didn’t have a lot of skills as compared to Shane Warne or Mutttiah Muralitharan but he was able to make the most of his talent by working hard. Kumble was always determined to do well and he would always try to give his best. Consequently, he finished his career as the highest wicket-getter for India with 619 Test scalps and he is also the third leading wicket-taker in Test matches.

Kumble was always committed and Harbhajan considers himself lucky to have played with the great player. There was a lot of learning for Harbhajan Singh as Anil Kumble already had experience when the Punjab off-spinner made his debut. Kumble also guided Harbhajan on the right path and both of them went on to become India’s most successful spinners.

Harbhajan Singh said while talking to Sportstar, “In my view, Anil bhai  was the greatest ever who played for India. He’s probably the greatest match-winner India has ever produced. People used to say he didn’t spin the ball, but he showed that if you had the heart, you could get batsmen out regardless of whether the ball spun or not. If anyone has half the competitiveness Anil bhai  had, he would become a champion. I’m lucky to have played with him for so many years. He was an unbelievably committed player”.

On the other hand, Anil Kumble is only the second bowler to take 10 wickets in an Test innings after Jim Laker. Kumble took all the wickets of Pakistan’s second innings in the Delhi Test in 1999.

Not only Kumble had a great Test career but he also did a fine job in the ODI format. The leg-spinner also snared 337 wickets in 271 ODI matches at an average of 30.9. Kumble was always known to give his best and gave his 120% to the team.

Anil Kumble is currently serving as the head of the ICC Cricket Committee, which took the decision to ban use of saliva in the Covid-19 era after consulting medical experts.