Former Indian skipper and spin legend Anil Kumble has said that he could never understand in his entire career why people compared him with Australia’s spin maestro Shane Warne.
During an Instagram live session with former Zimbabwe bowler Pommie Mbangwa, Kumble spoke about the being the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket of all time.
“It feels really wonderful to finish with these many wickets. I never bothered about statistics or what my average should be, I wanted to bowl the whole day and be the one to take wickets. To finish as the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests alongside Murali and Warne is very special. All three of us played in the same era, there were a lot of comparisons, I do not know why people compared me with Warne. Warne was someone really different and he was on a different plane,” Kumble told Mbangwa during the live.
The 49-year-old had announced retirement from the International cricket against Australia in 2008. In his flourishing career of 18 years, Kumble took 619 wickets in the white jersey for India.
He is the third-highest wicket-taker after Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Australia’s Shane Warne (708 wickets). Kumble hailed these two spinning maestros for how they worked really hard to achieve the milestone in their respective careers.
“These two guys could spin the ball on any surface so it became really difficult for me when they started comparing me with Warne and Murali. I learnt a lot by watching them both bowl,” he added.
Anil Kumble is the second bowler in the history to have taken 10 wickets in a test match inning. He will be the head coach of Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
