Kumble's English hurrah

Mihir Bose, the author of the acclaimed A History of Indian Cricket, starts his book with the dramatic events of August 24, 1971. Beginning with a chapter titled "The Day the Elephant came to The Oval", he focuses on India's historic maiden triumph in England, a moment when it truly came of age as a cricketing nation.

Several images remain from that match 36 years ago: Eknath Solkar's blinders at short-leg, Abid Ali's winning strike, Ajit Wadekar waving from the pavilion balcony and, most of all, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar's mesmerising spell on the gloomy fourth afternoon. Several players had a hand in India's first victory in England, none more so than an unassuming unorthodox legspinner from Bangalore who took 6 for 38 as England were bowled out for 101 in their second innings.

India's next four visits to The Oval saw high-scoring draws, matches that witnessed masterful innings from the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Dravid himself might happily settle for another stalemate here, leaving with a series win, but chances of a positive outcome might depend, coincidentally, on another unassuming unorthodox legspinner from Bangalore.

The Oval Test would be Anil Kumble's last in England. While India's batting trinity will stay on for the one-dayers, providing English audiences with a final glimpse, Kumble will head back home. He recently bid adieu to one-dayers and may only come back for a county stint. Those wanting him to return to England four years later better have an artificial right shoulder ready.

England hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Kumble. Barring his one season with Northamptonshire in 1995, when he picked up 105 wickets, it's a country where he hasn't had much impact. Despite getting nine wickets, he was ineffective for large parts of the last two Tests. Like he has done for most of his career, he's gone through this series in the shadow of the batting galacticos. The emergence of India's fast-bowling unit has pushed him further into the background.

Kumble, though, reserves his best for final Tests. In the last four years, he has stood out in series-ending matches in venues as diverse as Sydney, Rawalpindi, Mumbai and Kingston. Since August 2003, a period in which India have played 14 series, Kumble has managed 70 wickets in final games. On nine of those occasions he's pocketed at least five wickets in the match. Interestingly, when one considers series-ending Tests, he's done better away than at home (44 wickets at 24.23 in eight Tests away compared to 26 wickets at 38.07 in six home games).

He has bowled India to series wins in Pakistan (5 for 71 at Rawalpindi) and West Indies (7 for 110 at Kingston) and brought them tantalisingly close to one in Australia (12 for 279 at Sydney).

At home, he has engineered a dramatic, albeit consolation win against Australia (6 for 95 at Mumbai), played his part in a triumph over South Africa (4 for 158 at Kolkata) and inspired another against Sri Lanka (7 for 176 at Ahmedabad). Barring Karachi last year, where the seamers ought to have stood up, and Bangalore the previous year, where he couldn't summon any zip against a pumped-up Pakistan, Kumble has rarely gone through a series-ender silently.

He's made a couple of vital contributions in this series already - taking two important wickets at the end of the opening day at Lord's and polishing off England's tail in the first innings at Trent Bridge - though they've been buried under other bowling feats. Always keen to learn more, Kumble looked up Jack Birkenshaw, the former England offspinner and Leicestershire coach during Kumble's stint with the county, when India played their tour game against Sri Lanka A in Leicester last week.

If there's anything to be had from the wicket, Anil is probably the best guy to utilise it. Anil, if he bowls well, takes off some of the burden from our young seamers. It makes a huge difference Rahul Dravid

The bounce at The Oval should assist him, as it did Chandra all those years ago. He achieved some good zip at the nets today, bowling from both over and around the wicket, hitting the splice of the bat and hurrying the batsmen.

"If there's anything to be had from the wicket, Anil is probably the best guy to utilise it," said Dravid. "I think there will be something for Monty and Anil as the game goes on."

With India playing only four specialist bowlers, Kumble in rhythm brings other benefits as well. "Managing the workload of your bowlers is a big challenge," Dravid said. "Anil, if he bowls well, takes off some of the burden from our young seamers. It makes a huge difference."

India's prospects in this match could depend on the batsmen - "If you want to do well against good sides," Dravid said, "you have to make that first innings count" - but spin could have a hand as well. It would take a bizarre sequence of events for an elephant to walk into The Oval this time around but Kumble the Colossus could leave a giant imprint.