Kumble retires, an era ends..

"Kumble should retire", I was also one of the persons who demanded Anil Kumble's retirement. But there was enough justification for it, right? I guess when Kumble sent Ishant Sharma in as night watchman, the defensive mindset of India's former captain was exposed. How could he ever do that? It was insulting for me as an Indian fan to watch Ishant Sharma go out in the field as night watchman.

"Kumble retires", would be the front page news item in most of the Indian newspapers tomorrow. But not many would be debating the timing of Kumble's retirement? That is what I feel. He was, undoubtedly, one of the finest Indian spinners to have played the game and a champion cricketer, but his retirement came at the right time.

Anil Kumble has retired, Dhoni becomes test captain

Anil Kumble has retired from test cricket. His last ball in the test match, was a full toss, and was duly dispatched to the boundary by Mathew Hayden. An era has ended, a new one begins- Dhoni is now India's test captain too. After Kumble's retirement, the onus is now on Dhoni to win the series for India.

The Aussies will be shaking in their boots, when Dhoni leads India in the fourth and final test of the Border-Gavaskar series. I am beginning to suspect that the Aussies are a bit terrified of him. So far, Dhoni's aggressive style of captaincy has managed to get the better of the Aussies. There's no reason to think that Dhoni's charismatic style of leadership will not succeed in the next test match.

Best of luck, Kumble, for your post-retirement plans. And Dhoni, let's go for the killer punch!! I want the scoreline to read 2-0 at the end of the Nagpur test.

To read my earlier posts click here:

MS Dhoni or Kumble

Should Kumble retire now

MS Dhoni or Kumble

MS Dhoni's brave declaration must have impressed the cricket experts. He left the Aussies with 516 runs to chase with almost a-day-and-a-half of play still to be played. The Aussies might think that they are in with a chance and might try to chase down the target set by MS Dhoni. That will give MS Dhoni a chance to set attacking fields and prevent the game from turing into a tame draw. Is Dhoni a better captain than Kumble?

MS Dhoni or Kumble, that is the question that the selectors will have to ponder upon, when they meet to select the team for the last two test matches. A lot will depend on the result of this match. If MS Dhoni leads India into a memorable victory, Kumble may have to sit out.

Not that Indian fans should have a reason to complain, the only criticism that was being levied upon MS Dhoni was his inability to bat well in tests. With a near century in the first innings followed by a useful half-century in the 2nd innings, Dhoni must have, for the time being, put to rest the questions that were raised about his performance in test matches. Personally, I'd prefer
MS Dhoni over Anil Kumble anyday .

Let's see how things turn out..

Amit Mishra takes 5 wickets

Amit Mishra has struck again, his 5th wicket- Siddle. Earlier, Shane Watson also got out to Amit Mishra, after scoring a brilliant and much useful 78 runs. Australia has not managed to avoid follow on (268 all out). But I don't think that India will impose follow on.

Amit Mishra has taken a 5 wicket haul in his debut test match. What will Kumble do next? Will he sit out and allow Amit Mishra play? On form and fitness grounds, Amit Mishra scores better than Anil Kumble.

Should Anil Kumble retire now

Should Anil Kumble retire now? I know it's just the first match for Amit Mishra, but let's be practical. How long can Anil Kumble continue like this? He's injury prone and not getting any younger. Let's face it, had Kumble not been made the captain of the test team, he would have retired long time back. Remember what he said, when he was made the Indian test captain? Anil Kumble said that being the test captain motivates him to continue playing for India.

That means, prior to his becoming captain, he was not feeling motivated enough to play for India. Now that's just not acceptable! Kumble's comeback is likely to mean that Amit Mishra will be going out, despite a good performance by the lad. Again, that is just not acceptable. Let's wait and watch how things will pan out over the next few days.

Amit Mishra or Kumble

Amit Mishra's strong performance against Australia will start a debate over Anil Kumble's inclusion for the next test match. Sunil Gavaskar has already stated that he'll prefer Amit Mishra over an unfit Anil Kumble. In the 2nd test match, Dhoni has also come good, both as a batsman and as a captain. That is sure to raise another issue- Should Kumble come back as captain? Or should Dhoni be allowed to captain India in the third test match too?

Common sense would suggest to go with Amit Mishra in the next test match. But then, when did commom sense ever have a role to play in Indian cricket? I wouldn't be surprised to see Anil Kumble make a comeback and Amit Mishra , despite a strong performance, being shown the door.