Kumble’s decision is, of course, a surprising one, but the leg spinner has announced the retirement at right time and it is an intelligent move as well. With the growing age, the 38-year-old spinner was battling with fitness problem, which was affecting his bowling.

Right from the beginning of the ongoing Border – Gavaskar Trophy the Indian Test captain had fitness problem. His finger injury soared during the first Test against Australia in Bangalore. Due to injury he had to miss the second Test in Mohali, but he made a come back in the Kotla Test.

During the third day of the third Test he was taken to Apollo Hospital after suffering a deep cut on his left little finger while attempting a sharp catch at short midwicket. Later, he was discharged on Saturday (November 1), after which he bowled in the first innings of Australia and claimed three wickets.

Incidentally, in Kumble’s absence two players proved their abilities in their respective fields in the second Test in Mohali. Debutant Amit Mishra claimed seven wickets in the Mohali Test, including five in first innings, and Indian one day international captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led the team in absence of Kumble, secured a massive 320 run victory over the Kangaroos. After the Test match, pressure had mounted on Kumble and some people asked the veteran spinner to quit the game.

Meanwhile, former chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar while talking with media also called for Kumble to announce his retirement from international cricket. Vengsarkar said, “Kumble has been a great servant for the country for the last 18 years but he has not done anything of note in the last few matches. His time is up now. Kumble looked completely off colour in the third Test in Delhi and I don’t see him captaining the side after the final Test in Nagpur.”

Kumble made his Test debut against England at Manchester in August 1990. The 38-year old Kumble is all time great spinners of India and also one of the best bowlers in the game’s history. Kumble is the third highest wicket-taker in the world with a haul of 619 wickets in 132 Tests that includes eight 10-wicket hauls and 35 five-wicket hauls. More interestingly, Kumble ended his career at Feroz Shah Kotla, which is one of his favourite venues. At Kotla, he took all 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in the year 1999 to become only the second bowler to achieve the feat after English bowler Jim Laker.

Kumble had retired from one day international cricket last year, after India’s early exit from the 2007 World Cup. He played a total of 271 ODIs, claiming 337 wickets with a best of six for 12. Kumble was appointed Indian Test captain in November last year, after Rahul Dravid expressed unwillingness to continue captaincy further.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will now lead the team for the fourth and final Test against Australia in Nagpur, beginning on November 6. Dhoni has proved his mettle as captain in the ODIs already. Now, he has to repeat the same in Test cricket as well.

However, the result of Border-Gavaskar trophy can’t be predicted right now. But the series will always be remembered for the retirement of two great players of Indian cricket, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly. Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has already announced that he would be retiring from international cricket after the fourth and final Test against Australia at Nagpur.

Kumble is known as match winner, but in the recent time he could not bowl very well. Kumble’s retirement is a great loss for the Indian cricket, but it was the need of the hour. In fact, decision shows the intelligence of the leggie. The vacuum created by the retirement of the spinner would hardly be filled by any other bowler in future. His legacy in spin department will always exist in the game’s history and the coming generations will follow him.