New Delhi: Former left-arm medium-fast bowler Ashish Nehra has played in an era when the Indian cricket was covered with globally-famed cricketers. While the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid dominated with their batting, the bowling was taken care of by Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and others for company.
Recalling his early impressions of Kumble, Nehra called the former captain and leg-spinner India’s biggest match-winner with the ball. “First time I saw him was on television only when Anil Kumble was playing for India,” Nehra said about India’s leading wicket-taker in Tests with 619 scalps.
“He had those huge glasses, but as you keep on playing your face, mannerisms and style keeps changing every 5-6 years. But I would definitely agree that with the ball, he was India’s biggest match-winner.”
Not only Nehra is but former Australia pacer Brett Lee also recalled his first impressions on Kumble stating the leg-spinner looked like a ‘university student’. Kumble made his India debut as a 19-year-old against England in 1990, and but by the time he finished playing, the Bangalore-based man had modified into one of the biggest legends of the game.
“When he first started playing cricket, a bit like Daniel Vettori with the glasses on, a bit like a university student with the look with the glasses,” Lee said. “He looked a bit shy and afraid but 619 wickets later, 130-odd Tests, a legend of the game but a legend of a guy.”
