Gautam Gambhir believes Kumble would have picked 900 wickets with DRS

Gambhir also heaped praise on Kumble's leadership qualities and went on to the extent of saying he would have given his life for a captain like him

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Anil Kumble   |   Virat Kohli  |  Gautam Gambhir

BS Web Team & agencies  |  New Delhi 

Gautam Gambhir believes Kumble would have picked 900 wickets with DRS
Kumble ended his career as the third-highest wicket-taker in the world with 619 scalps in 132 Tests

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has said that the former leggie Anil Kumble would have picked in excess of 900 Test wickets if the Decision Review System (DRS) was available during his time. He also lavished praise on out-of-favour spinner Harbjahan Singh and stated his tally would also have been more in the presence of DRS.
  
"With DRS technology, Kumble would have ended up with 900 wickets and Harbhajan with 700 wickets," Gambhir said during an Instagram live session with news portal Sports Tak, as per India Today.
 
"They missed LBW (leg before wicket) decisions on front-foot. Bhajju pa took seven wickets in Cape Town, just imagine. If they would have played on rank-turners opposition would not have been able to make even 100 runs."

Kumble ended his career as the third-highest wicket-taker in the world with 619 scalps in 132 Tests. While Harbjahan picked 417 wickets in 103 Tests. The two still take up the first and third spots respectively in the list of top wicket-takers for India in the Test cricket.

Gambhir also heaped praise on Kumble's leadership qualities and went on to the extent of saying he would have given his life for a captain like him. He revealed an anecdote, involving Kumble, which made him feel secure of his place in the team and that, in turn, aided his performances on the field.
 
"(Virender) Sehwag and I were having dinner when Kumble walked in and said that you guys will open throughout the series no matter what," Gambhir said, recalling the 2008 series against Australia.
 
"Even if you get eight ducks (four-match series) it doesn't matter. I have never heard such words from anyone in my career. So, if I have to give my life for someone, it would be Anil Kumble. Those words are still in my heart," Gambhir said.

Gautam Gambhir
(Virender) Sehwag and I were having dinner (during 2008 Australia tour) when Kumble walked in and said that you guys will open throughout the series no matter what, says Gautam Gambhir
Expect Kohli, Rohit to groom youngsters like Dhoni did: Gambhir
 
Gambhir also said that he would expect current captain Virat Kohli and his deputy in limited-overs Rohit Sharma to groom talented youngsters coming into the squad in the manner former skipper MS Dhoni used to do during his time at the helm.
 
Citing example of Rohit, Gambhir stated that Dhoni believed in his abilities despite him being in and out of the team and that MSD's backing ultimately led to him becoming one of the best white-ball cricketers in the world. 

After making this debut in 2007, Rohit was languishing in the middle-order with consistency being his Achilles' heel. Dhoni seemingly took note of Rohit's hidden talent and gave him a long rope. He then promoted Rohit as opener in 2013 and the right-hander hasn't looked back since.

"The young cricketers in the current generation today, be it Shubman Gill or Sanju Samson, they should also get similar kind of support," Gambhir said.
 
"And now when Rohit is a senior, I expect him to give backing to youngsters. Rohit is a prime example of how a player can become a phenomenal cricketer, if he has good backing.One good thing about MS (Dhoni) was that he always kept Rohit in the talks, even if he was not part of the team. He never let him get sidelined," he added.
 
"I expect Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to groom the youngsters in the same way in which M.S. Dhoni groomed them."
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First Published: Mon, May 04 2020. 12:58 IST