It is just as well that India have Anil Kumble at the helm during these difficult times. Apart from being a man of unquestionable integrity, the captain is usually as cool and composed as they come, though the simmering anger soon after the Sydney Test had ended last Sunday was impossible to miss.
By Wednesday, the Bangalorean was back in his elements, courteous without necessarily hiding behind diplomacy, forceful without coming across as confrontational. He decided to take the bull by the horns as he came out to meet the media ahead of India's practice game against the ACT Invitational XI beginning on Thursday, fielding questions regarding the acrimony in Sydney and the aftermath of Harbhajan Singh’s three-Test ban with characteristic elan.
“It’s nice to be back playing cricket again,” the 37-year-old began. “It’s important to move on. Cricket is larger than any individual, and I respect that.”
Kumble didn’t shy away from any challenge, saying he had invoked the spirit of the game comment specifically for the Sydney Test when he had so famously said that only one side played in the spirit of the game. “That was meant only for the Sydney game. The relationship between India and Australia has always been very good. I respect Australian cricket, I have great regard for all those who have played for Australia.”
No re-assessing
The skipper brushed off questions on whether he had re-assessed his opinion of Australia as a cricketing entity. “It was a temporary setback, we need to move on. If people feel I had a biased opinion, there has been a poll and all those who saw the game have said it.” It is worth mentioning that more than 78 percent of the 2,500 respondents to an Australian radio station poll said they were unhappy with the Aussies’ behaviour, and would no longer support them.
“I have no problems sitting and thrashing it out with Ricky (Ponting). It was not that the spirit of the game was attacked. The focus is to ensure it’s played in better spirit. We are equal partners in making sure the game is played in the right spirit. I can assure you that my team will play in the right spirit.”
Asked what the mood in the camp was now, the skipper replied, “It’s been very difficult. It’s a very serious issue. The entire team is together. We’d like to thank the BCCI for fully backing us, and we're all with Bhajji (Harbhajan). It's not easy, but he seems to be in a good mood.”
The BCCI said on Tuesday that the tour would continue 'for the present,' adding that it was monitoring the situation. "As far as I'm concerned, the BCCI's press release says everything. The BCCI has conveyed it in the right way," Kumble said.
Leeway
Would the team insist on Harbhajan being cleared of the racial abuse charge post-haste, or was it willing to provide some leeway? “There's an appeal made, we're hopeful of the right decision," he came back. “There is a procedure and procedures like this take time. We have already provided leeway, and cricket must continue.”
Explaining the rationale behind staying back in Sydney, Kumble offered, “It’s important that whatever needed to be sorted out needed to be sorted out. Those two days were spent very well in Sydney. The trip to Bondi Beach was very important. But I never thought we were such good beach volleyball players that there were 15 journalists to cover it! Now it's important to switch on, we need to play good cricket.”
So, what of the future, as in the Perth Test? “It will be like it was in the last two games. We’ll play our cricket, they’ll play theirs," the captain observed, simply. “I'm really proud of how we played in the last Test. We are focussed to play good cricket. Both will play hard tough cricket. It’s important that at the end of it, whatever cricket we play is remembered.
“We know we have to be on top of our game to beat Australia. We had our chances in both Tests. In the last Test, we had a chance to draw and that didn’t happen. We are aware that there will be moments in Perth and we have to seize and grab them. Hopefully, cricket will be the focus.”