By IANS,
New Delhi : The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is turning out to be a landmark series for India. If it was Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who hogged the limelight in the Mohali Test, skipper Anil Kumble took centre-stage at the Feroz Shah Kotla here Wednesday, becoming the second most capped Indian Test player.
Kumble took his tally to 132 Tests when he returned to lead the side in the third Test against Australia Wednesday. He could have achieved the feat in the second Test in Mohali but a shoulder injury in his bowling arm kept him out of the match. Tendulkar became the highest Test run scorer and Ganguly reached the 7,000-run mark in Mohali.
Kumble went past Kapil Dev and West Indies’ Brian Lara, both of whom have played 131 matches, and shares the sixth spot with West Indies’ fast bowling great Courtney Walsh.
For Kumble, it couldn’t have been a better venue than Kotla to achieve the feat. He has an outstanding record here having picked 55 wickets at a miserly average of 15.41. It was also at this very venue that he picked up a Perfect 10 in an innings against Pakistan. And now he will attempt to extend India’s seven-match winning streak here at Kotla.
The 38-year-old Kumble, who is in the twilight of his career, has recently faced questions on his form and captaincy. But he is surely not the one to leave the tongues wagging in the media.
“People have their opinions and I respect them. But if you play according to people’s opinion then you go nowhere. I have faith in myself and the team has faith in me,” Kumble told reporters on the eve of the match.
Kumble is now behind England’s Alec Stewart (133), Australian Shane Warne (145), and India’s Sachin Tendulkar and former Aussie captain Alan Border (156).
Former Aussie captain Steve Waugh heads the list with 168 Tests.
In the last match of the series at Nagpur to be played on Oct 5, Kumble will move up in the list leaving Walsh behind and will draw level with Alec Stewart.