Karnataka - Mysore   

Children bowl Kumble over

Special Correspondent

Clever questions from students put spinner on the back foot

FACING SALVOS: Ace spinner Anil Kumble shares the dais with theatre personality Arundati Nag during an interactive session with children at Rangayana in Mysore on Wednesday. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: It was a googly that the best spinner in the game could not have delivered. But a little girl participating in the 10th anniversary celebrations of Chinnara Mela at Kalamandira here on Wednesday did just that and had the veteran spinner Anil Kumble stunned and forced on to his back foot.

At an interaction session that children in the age group of seven to 12 years had with the ace spinner, Sparsha Pai stumped Kumble with this one: "A batsman hammers the ball high in the air and the ball splits into two. A fielder manages to catch one half of the ball but the other falls to the ground. Is the batsman out or not?"

Momentarily stunned, Kumble was forced on to the back foot and said: "I am a player and not an umpire. If you have doubts perhaps you should ask the third umpire." But then he did say that "it is a hypothetical question and cannot occur, though technically the batsman will be out."

But there was more to come as the ace bowler — who has had the best batsmen in the world struggling to hit the ball — struggled to keep a straight bat.

A youngster asked: "Why are you clean shaven, why don't you grow a moustache?" An amused Kumble found his form in the nick of time and said: "I want to look young and play for some more time. If I grow a moustache I will look old and risk being dropped." The children roared in approval, and Kumble was pleased as his answer was perhaps equivalent to a "sixer" this time around.

Then came a question that revealed a little bit of field tactics: A child wanted to know if the players from Karnataka spoke in Kannada on the field. "Yes, but only when playing against Pakistan as they can understand both English and Hindi. So Rahul Dravid, I and earlier Javagal Srinath used to discuss tactics in Kannada, and what is more, the rest of the Indian team also picked up a few words of Kannada and they come in handy during crucial matches," Kumble said.

Who is the toughest batsman you have bowled to so far, was the question posed by Akshay and Ajay. Kumble's answer would have made any Indian proud. "I am lucky as the toughest batsmen such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag or Saurav Ganguly are in the Indian team, and I bowl at them only at the nets."

But if the children's reaction is any indication, then there is a new kid on the block who is the rising star and a new idol for the new generation. For, a few collectively shouted "Dhoni, Dhoni... " and Kumble nodded to indicate that even he was tough.

Why don't you get angry, was another question and Kumble batted deftly to say "controlled aggression is important."

But if Kumble managed to get past the children's grilling with his wicket intact, a part of the credit should go to Javagal Srinath who was at the receiving end of the bouncers hurled by students last year.

As Kumble admitted: "I was cautioned by Srinath that facing the kids at Rangayana would be tougher than facing Shoaib Akhtar or Shane Warne. So I came fully prepared for the gruelling event."

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Children bowl Kumble over
NGOs make out a case against ropeway project
`Introduce children's rights in curriculum'
Five drown in Srirangapatna
Documentary on hazards related to electricity planned
In Mysore Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu