ONE is a suave protagonist in the art of leg spin even though he indulges in unconventional methods. The other is a rustic crusader, who believes in the tradition of off-spin. This formidable pair of spinners - Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh - are the proud property of Indian cricket, leading the charge from the front.
Kumble says he exploits the pressure created by Harbhajan, who finishes his over in two minutes, giving the batsmen little time to think, drying up the run rate for his bowling partner to make the most of it.
Harbhajan believes he benefits from Kumble's presence for the simple reason that the leg-spinner is difficult to read, almost impossible to dominate and that compels the batsmen to take chances against the off-spinner.
We shall not judge Kumble and Harbhajan - 'Jumbo' and 'Bhajji' to their team-mates - from their success against the Englishmen. Kumble, who knows his strength and how to work on it, has destroyed many a batting line up at various cricket fields for a decade now while Harbhajan has just got into the business of running through the opposition. Their approach and attitude may vary but not their mission. Both are aggressive, both love bounce in the pitch and both are matchwinners and that is what binds the two. Accolades come from all quarters for them and in the process create nightmares for the batsmen. At Mohali, Kumble and Harbhajan accounted for 15 English dismissals as India won in a canter.
Harbhajan was 16 when Kumble spread the word of a Punjab lad, in the circuit, showing prodigious progress as an off-spinnner. Former Test left-arm spinnner Maninder Singh wanted a first-hand experience and volunteered to officiate the under-19 match between Delhi and Punjab at the Palam ground. At the end of the game, Maninder was calling up Kumble in Bangalore to put his stamp of approval. "A tremendous prospect," gushed Maninder. As we followed the fortunes of Harbhajan in the north, it was soon established that he was a proficient off-spinner. All he needed was guidance.
The guidance came from Kumble at various stages, and there were long spells of discussions between the two. Harbhajan never missed an opportunity to share his thoughts with Kumble, who has remained the off-spinner's mentor.
Success came Harbhajan's way only after a toil. He went through rough periods on the field when the captain gave him just ten overs in five spells and then an incident at the National Cricket Academy saw Harbhajan almost give up cricket. He was charged with indiscipline when, on being deprived of decent food, he tore off the diet chart. The method was wrong but not the point he was trying to make. Being thrown out of the NCA was a shattering experience for Harbhajan who spent long nights crying alone.
Again, help came from Kumble, who was pained at the development. In his opinion, Harbhajan needed to be tackled with care and he made every effort to make people understand. Apart from Kumble, there was one man, Sourav Ganguly, who backed Harbhajan all the way. Against all odds, the off-spinner was picked for the home series against Australia. We all know how 32 Aussies fell to Harbhajan's guiles.
Even in those joyous moments, Harbhajan remembered "Anil bhai." At Kolkata, when he sent Australia tumbling, the off-spinner missed Kumble during the celebrations. "He is part of me," Harbhajan had commented when I met him the next day.
Kumble too, on his part, is never tired of sharing the credit and honours with Harbhajan. After his ten-wicket haul against Pakistan at Delhi two years ago, the genial Kumble made it a point to acknowledge Harbhajan's contribution. "He bowled very well at the other end to keep the pressure on," Kumble was very generous in his praise.
Kumble has never forgotten his spinning mates in his moments of triumphs. It is his humility which makes Kumble such a wonderful character to have in the team. Raju, Joshi, Bhajji and Rajesh too, in unison, gave Kumble the honour he deserved. He has been the indispensable leader of the spin brigade, they agreed.
Kumble, in the opinion of Bishan Singh Bedi, has been successful mainly because of his accuracy. "He's on the job always. I've admired his spirit to keep bowling in all conditions but of late I think he seems to be trying a bit too hard. I don't agree with his over-indulgence in bowling the googly. He's bowling too many googlies which is not ideal for his style. But he's a champion bowler no doubt and I'll be the happiest man when he gets past the 300-wicket mark," said Bedi.
The shoulder injury to Kumble had come as a severe blow. He too spent restless nights, worried about his future. The injury required surgery and also a mental resolve which only someone like Kumble could have possessed. He missed the home series against Australia and the subsequent tours to Zimbabwe and Lanka. Some critics wrote him off but Kumble worked silently and doggedly on his comeback trail.
The series against South Africa saw Kumble regain his rhythm slowly even though it failed to make an impact on the opposition in the manner one had expected. Back home, Kumble was in his element and Mohali became the stage for him to perform his matchwinning acts again.
Compared to the South African trip, Kumble has looked much more relaxed when bowling to the Englishmen. Out of action for a year, it was never going to be easy for him because the expectations were higher. In his own assessment, Kumble had set small goals but he had a reputation to maintain and that is what haunted him everytime he walked back to his mark during the South African tour.
Having set high standards, Kumble took a while to get there. He chose the best way to get back to shape - by bowling long spells. It stopped tongues from wagging and helped him to get the rhythm back, for Kumble has always been a rhythm bowler. He bowled as much as possible in all grades - club and Test - and being an established player helped him ease the pressure due to the expectations of the people.
Kumble is an experienced performer and what carries him is his deep knowledge about the game. Former Test leg-spinner L. Sivaramakrishnan assessed Kumble fairly when he said "he's looking much better. Over the years, he's added a lot more variety to his bowling - the slower one and the googly." The googly may look obvious at this stage but then it is different because of the bounce and the fact that it still turns. That makes the delivery explosive, as Nasser Hussain discovered it the hard way at Mohali. So what if Kumble is not the conventional leg-spinner. This is what Bedi had to say "he's improved by leaps and bounds and is still hungry for wickets. He's been tossing the ball up and I like the way he's managed to come back. It's very, very creditable because shoulder plays such an important role for any bowler."
In true tradition of spin in India, Kumble and Harbhajan have formed a matchwinning pair. At home, where the ball holds a bit, the conditions obviously suit them and they also complement each other so brilliantly. Both believe in winning matches and that is what matters. Kumble, 31, and Harbhajan, 21, are glowing symbols of India's spin tradition and the team is in safe hands as long as they mesmerise the opposition in tandem.
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