| India is a country singularly bereft of sporting heroes
and achievements. We honour individuals because team triumphs are so rare. Every hero
becomes a beacon, drawing millions towards the lights of accomplishment. Anil Kumble is
one such hero. It isn't just that his record-breaking haul makes him only the second man
in cricketing history to wrap up an innings single-handedly. His feat couldn't have been
timed better. It comes when cricket, India's only oasis of sporting honour, was
threatening to evaporate in a desert of failure. It also comes at a time when a troubled
nation needed an occasion to celebrate. As India
revels in Kumble's glory, so do we. In this week's cover story though, we take you beyond
the hype, the hoopla and bring you the man himself as we have done in the past with other
cricketing greats, telling you more than you know about a man of the moment. To present
this revealing portrait of a great cricketer -- and, as we found, a remarkable human being
-- we were given exclusive access to Kumble's personal and professional life. We saw more
than just an astute, deeply thoughtful bowler: we found a man who had not let his fame
overcome his deep sense of duty to society. "Everybody says it happened to the nicest
guy and I couldn't agree more," says Associate Editor Rohit Brijnath, the only print
journalist to accompany him through the euphoric day after his historic bowling
performance. Brijnath was also witness to his politeness, whether to the home minister or
the nervy waiter who wanted him to talk to his father. From Chennai we picked up one
mother's tale of the close bond that Kumble formed with her stricken son before the boy
died from muscular dystrophy in May last year. It is an uncommon tale of an uncommon hero.
We could do with more like him.
(Aroon Purie) |
