By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
New Delhi : India’s newly appointed Test captain Anil Kumble was so confident of his team’s win over Pakistan in the first match that he did not feel Delhi’s pre-dawn tremors Monday.
“I didn’t feel the earthquake so I must have had sound sleep,” Kumble told reporters after the win Monday morning at his favourite venue, Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium.
Kumble, making his debut as captain in Tests, was replying to a question on whether he had slept well, as the team required just 32 runs with seven wickets in hand at close on the fourth day Sunday.
On Monday morning, Sachin Tendulkar (56 not out) ensured that India reached the target of 203 for the loss of four wickets for a six-wicket verdict.
To add icing to the cake, Kumble, who had taken all 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan here in 1999, was adjudged the Man of the Match Monday for his seven-wicket match haul.
Kumble, however, said that the low-scoring match could have gone both either way till the fourth day.
“It never felt easy till yesterday evening. Both teams had equal chance. But we did everything right at the right moment,” said the 37-year-old spinner from Bangalore.
Pakistan scored 231 in their first innings and India replied with 276 — a lead of 45. In their second innings, Pakistan made 247.
Kumble praised to his team mates in general for the inputs he got from them and lauded Tendulkar for his “amazing hunger” for runs even after 18 years in international cricket.
“Everybody in the team contributed equally,” he said.
Kumble even mentioned Yuvraj Singh’s name for his contribution as the 12th man. Yuvraj caught Kamran Akmal in the second innings.
“The hunger that you see in Tendulkar is amazing. I’ve seen him grow, and not just as a player. He’s definitely going to be the No. 1 player in the world,” he said about the maestro who Sunday became the second highest scorer in Test history.
At the end of the first Test, Tendulkar’s tally is 11,207, which is second only to West Indian Brian Lara’s 11,953.
Kumble also pointed out that the V.V.S. Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni sixth-wicket partnership of 115 in the first innings was crucial for India.
“His (Laxman’s) knock was very crucial for us. I don’t know why a sword is always hanging on his head,” he said, referring to the selection issues involving the stylish Hyderabadi batsman.
“His partnership with Dhoni was very critical for us.”
Kumble, in reply to a question, said he did not feel that he under bowled off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in the match.
“As a spin bowler I understand the importance of bowling (long) spells,” he said. “His success was crucial for us. But I had to rotate the bowlers…”
Harbhajan took one wicket in 15 overs in the first innings and two from 17 in the second while Kumble bowled many more and finished with more scalps.