When Karnataka’s darling cricketer Anil Kumble came home, mid-way through a test series in the West Indies, it was a mixture of joy and grief for his fans. It was joyous because he had valiantly slogged through the West Indian lineup capturing the most wickets. But it was also grief-filled because he came home swathed in a bandage holding his jaw together which had been fractured during the second test.

As one commentator observed, his performance smacked of heroism, but his journey back to Bangalore for corrective surgery spoke of patriotism. Among the many epithets that he is associated with, the Smiling Assassin is probably what describes him best. But his team mates know him more as `jumbo’ – nothing to do with an elephant but because his balls come through as jumbo jets.

Truly, Kumble’s career is speckled with such acts of the unbelievable, improbably and unexpected. For who can forget his famous `perfect 10’ against Pakistan in 1999, where he ripped through the opposition and took all 10 wickets in a single innings. He is only the second player in the world after England’s Jim Laker to have achieved the feat. The fact that he had done it against India’s arch rival Pakistan made the feat that much more sweet. To honor him, Bangalore even named a junction after him at the intersection of the busy M.G. Road. Like all heroes, he is the stuff that legends are made of.

But to go back to the beginning, Kumble was born in Bangalore in October 1970 and began playing cricket at a very early age. He participated in tournaments and state level events, going on to represent his college team when a student in the RVCE. It is this stint in the engineering college, studying software that has helped him bring precision and an almost engineering skill in his bowling.

But not many believed he would achieve any greatness when he hit the nation’s cricket scene. He debuted in 1990 against Sri Lanka, bespectacled and lanky. However, that was the least of the problems. A very unorthodox leg spinner, Kumble was trying to tread a path that very few had treaded before.  He started off as a medium pacer but switched along the way, and what a switch it has been.

At one point, there were six guys from Karnataka in the national side, but Kumble along with close friend Javagal Srinath, managed to wreck most havoc with the opposition. Presently, as captain of the Karnataka side, he continues to put Karnataka on the top.

However, like any sportsperson, Kumble’s career has been filled with ups and downs. But his ups have always coincided with India’s victory. His greatest drawback has been the inability of the team to come up with a consistent spinner to support him from the other end, but Kumble has not let that deter him. His career figures bear testimony to this. In fact, he is only the second cricketer in the country after Kapil Dev to have notched up 300 wickets. Adequate proof of what he is capable.

Of all the deliveries in his repertoire, the straighter one that zips through the batsman's defence is Kumble's potent weapon. His ‘googly’ especially is considered to be the ultimate nightmare for the opposition, and a safe bet for India. Often, Kumble is compared to the only other legend in India cricket that did the unexpected. And that was again one of the most revered bowlers from Karnataka B.S. Chandrashekar. But Kumble’s mixed bag of tricks in the span of one over is considered even more dangerous.

Despite his achievements, Kumble still has some unfulfilled ambitions. “Yes, I have come close to that a lot of times but I still haven't achieved a hat trick in test cricket. I have done it in first class cricket playing for Karnataka and I have been on the hat trick ball a lot of times in my career. But it just hasn't happened,’’ he says.

As for after-cricket plans, he is already a businessman, along with his brother Dinesh, in some cricketing software and a few other initiatives. “I shall do it full time after I retire from active cricket,’’ he says with a grin.

But ambitions aside, Kumble, though a very shy, reserved and introverted person, has a huge soft side to him. Among his pet causes is nature, especially tigers, and challenged children. “Oh yes, I have always felt very strongly about disabled children and nature. I haven't been able to give them the time I would love to. I have just supported them,’’ he says, a trifle wryly.

But of his great loves, after cricket and his wife Chetana (we hope in that order!) comes Bangalore. “I love the city since it is where I grew up and I will always love it,’’ he adds.

What can one say to a person so rounded as Kumble, who has done India, Karnataka and Bangalore so proud? All we could say is best of luck and continue doing us proud!!