‘She Thought I Was Joking’: Anil Kumble On Wife’s Reaction To Him Bowling With Broken Jaw

In one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket history, Anil Kumble bowled with a broken jaw in a Test match against West Indies in 2002. The ace cricketer was hit on the jaw while batting and scans showed severe injury to his jaw which needed the Veteran to head back to India. However, Kumble showed great character and came out to bowl the next day, leaving everyone stunned.

Kumble in an interview with Robin Uthappa in Jiocinema’s show Home Of Heroes’ opened up on his wife Chethana’s reaction when he told her that he was going to bowl to for India the next day despite the broken jaw.

“I told my wife, Chethana, and I called her up. When we spoke, I said, ‘Look I know I have to come home because I just need surgery.’ So, she arranged for all of that in Bangalore. And as I dropped off the call, I just told her that, ‘Look I’ll go and bowl,’ but she probably thought I was just joking. I don’t think she even took it seriously. ‘What’s he saying?’

Anil Kumble then revealed the reason for his decision to bowl despite the broken jaw. The spinner said that he was the only spinner in the team and they had a chance to win a rare overseas game.

“I was the only spinner in the playing XI. I didn’t play the last two Tests and here I was coming after an injury. So I knew I had to go out there and win the game. We had a chance as we got 600-odd (513) and you don’t get that many every time overseas. I thought that if I was able to take a couple of wickets maybe I could put my team in a good position. I knew I was going to come home the next day.”

Anil Kumble also explained how doctors treated his broken jaw and what kind of diet he was put into.

“The doctor literally kept my lower jaw together in one place with temporary wiring. I was on liquids and even (drinking) the liquids was not easy. And I mean, West Indies and vegetarian what do you get (laughs) so you try and make do whatever you have there.”

Anil Kumble is one of the greatest players to have graced the game. He is still the leading wicket taker for India with 619 scalps to his name.