Indian skipper Anil Kumble announced on Sunday he was retiring from Test cricket with immediate effect, bringing down the curtain on a glorious international career. “The decision to retire was very tough,” the 38-year-old said at a presentation ceremony after the third Test against Australia ended in a draw. “When you have played the game for 18 years and so competitively at that, it does become difficult.” The ace leg-spinner said the finger injury that he sustained on the third day of the Test helped him make up his mind. “This injury helped me take this decision. I had already made the decision on Saturday. I knew I would not be 100 percent fit for the fourth Test in Nagpur and I did not want to let the team down.” Kumble, who finished with 619 wickets from 132 Tests and had already given up one-day cricket, thanked his teammates and family for their support. “I shared the dressing room with some of the great players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Venkatsai Laxman besides the younger lot like Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. “It has been a great experience and a great journey.” The Indian stalwart, given a lap of honor by his teammates, said it would have been a fitting farewell had his side won the third Test. “Delhi has been very special to me. I thought it would be fitting if we won the game and the series here. Ideally I would have liked to bow out with a win. But I am confident of sealing the series in Nagpur.” Kumble is India's most successful bowler ever. He trails only Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's retired Shane Warne in the list of the world's highest wicket-takers. He picked up 337 wickets from 271 one-day internationals before quitting the shorter version of the game last year. Kumble bowled in the first innings here despite 11 stitches in his finger, reminding critics calling for his retirement of his resilience and value to the team. Kumble said he would like to be remembered as someone who excelled despite facing constant flak from critics. “Criticism started 18 years ago when people said I could not bowl well,” he said. “I am lucky that at least I got the opportunity to announce my retirement though I am still trying to learn how to bowl leg-spin,” he said in his parting shot at the critics. There were calls for him to be dropped from the Indian team along with other seniors after their collective failure in the preceding Test series against Sri Lanka. “I think there were difficult phases when you play for so long,” he said Sunday. “I had gone through a difficult phase at the start of my career when people questioned my ability, which continued till the last. “After suffering a shoulder injury, I played for eight years. Surely my second phase was more satisfying. We won more matches in West Indies, Pakistan, Autralia. “I had a strong belief in my capabilities and my team knew what I am capable of. The team should respect you. I know I have given my 100 per cent. “As a team we have shown a lot of resilience in past few months. It was just one bad series in Sri Lanka. But India is the team which has competed against the Aussies.” Kumble, who quit one-day cricket last year, said his decision was not triggered by calls for his retirement. __
