Kumble confident of being 100 per cent fit before SA tour

Indian spin ace Anil Kumble, who returned to full-fledged competitive cricket today after a nine-month injury layoff, expressed confidence of being 100 per cent fit before India's tour to South Africa in October.

"I am 80 per cent fit now and confident of being totally fit in two months," Kumble, who is leading the Karnataka State Cricket Association XI in the ongoing KSCA Diamond Jubilee All India tournament in Bangalore, told reporters.

But Kumble has to wait a bit longer to bowl as on the rain-curtailed opening day of the three-day fixture today, Andhra won the toss and put KSCA into bat. KSCA were 117 for two at stumps.

Kumble, who is returning to competitive cricket for the first time after withdrawing midway through a one-day series in Sharjah in October and undergoing shoulder surgery in Johannesburg in January, said he has been bowling 20 to 30 overs a day now and hoped that he would regain his form.

Kumble has taken 276 wickets from 61 Tests. He had turned up for his alma mater club, Young Cricketers, in a third division league tie last month, taking three for 49.