As the cricketing world anticipates the high-stakes encounters between India and Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023, renowned leg-spinner Anil Kumble has shared his insights on the enduring Indo-Pak rivalry. With a career spanning numerous intense clashes against Pakistan, Kumble has offered a unique perspective on handling the pressure associated with these momentous showdowns.
Kumble’s advice for success in matches against Pakistan is straightforward yet profound: treat them as you would any other game. Reflecting on his own playing days, he recollects the enormous pressure and weight of expectations that players faced when squaring off against Pakistan.
“In our times, the word was ‘lose even to Kenya but not to Pakistan’. There was pressure and expectation on the players. That’s how the matches between India and Pakistan are being played, and the key is to treat it as just another match,” Kumble shared during a recent event in Bengaluru, as reported by TOI.
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Kumble highlighted India’s unblemished track record against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup. Notably, across seven encounters spanning from 1992 to 2019, India emerged victorious in every instance, asserting their dominance on the grand stage of cricket’s premier tournament.
‘That is the dream of any bowler’: Kumble on his 10-wicket haul against Pakistan
The India-Pakistan saga continues to provide enthralling moments, with the 2022 T20 World Cup serving up another nail-biting chapter. India clinched a heart-stopping victory over Pakistan by a mere four wickets, with Virat Kohli’s stellar performance guiding India to an unforgettable win in the match held at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Kumble boasts an impressive track record against Pakistan, further solidifying his status as one of the finest bowlers in cricket history. In the Test format, he claimed a total of 81 wickets from 15 matches, with a remarkable feat of taking all 10 wickets in a single innings (10/74) during the 1999 Test match in New Delhi. In the ODI format, he continued to shine, securing 54 wickets from 34 encounters against the Men in Green.
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Reflecting on his special record of claiming 10 wickets in an innings, Kumble said: “I did not go onto the field thinking of a 10-wicket haul, though that is the dream of any bowler. However, in the next Test match against Pakistan, the Asian Test Championship at Kolkata, I was struggling to take even one wicket. That is the game of cricket for you.”
