Leg-spinner Amit Mishra is delighted to have someone of his ilk as National coach. What better person to teach him the nuances of the trade than Anil Kumble, one of India’s most decorated match-winners. At the preparatory camp ahead of the West Indies tour, the Haryana cricketer spoke about taking tips from the master and more.
Excerpts:
Memories of Kumble the cricketer
When he retired, he told me, ‘The legacy is passing on to you’. However, I couldn’t learn much from him then because I made my debut during his last series. We are very happy that he is the coach. He understands the mentality of cricketers, so if everyone has a problem, they can go directly to Anil bhai and talk to him.
Emulating Kumble
Anil bhai and I are different bowlers, but I’m trying to add his wicket-taking deliveries to my arsenal. We discuss certain finer details — like how to bowl on particular wickets, variation, bowling a little fuller, increasing the pace, field setting etc. We talk about a lot of things. If he tells me four points, I try to implement at least two of them.
Contributing with the bat
Anil bhai has been telling us that if we can contribute with the bat, our confidence will be high when we come on to bowl. Even if we play five bowlers, all of us should be able to chip in with a 40 or 50, or to help out a batsman with a hundred-run partnership.
Role in the team
I think my role in this team is to be a wicket-taker. Also, as a senior bowler, I have to understand the conditions quickly and pass on the information to the younger guys. Whenever I need to suggest something, I will do so, regardless of whether I’m in the eleven or not. The team will be picked according to the conditions, and I’m ready to take on any role.
‘Buddy’ system in the camp
My buddy is (Cheteshwar) Pujara. Since he bowls leg-spin, he has been paired with me. He helps me with my batting, and I with his leg-spin. The idea is that whenever the need arises in a match, Pujara and other batsmen can chip in by bowling 7-8 overs. Similarly, I should be able to contribute with the bat.
