Former Indian captain and one of the all time best bowler Anil Kumble said that Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman played very important role in his success as they were brilliant close-in fielders, says a report in The Indian Express.
"Rahul and Laxman were brilliant for me as close-in fielders. Most of the times, they knew exactly what I was going to bowl. I never had to discuss my bowling plans with them or instruct them particularly. At times, I told them if I wanted them to stand a bit straighter or wider, but mostly they were very precise in positioning themselves," said Kumble.
Kumble praised the two saying that he bowled without any worry and their presence was assuring for him.
"For a spinner to succeed it¿s very important to have good close-in fielders and I was very lucky to have quite a few. Rahul and Laxman were among the best. They expected a catch off every ball. They weren't afraid to stand close to the bat and gave their 100 percent in the field. As a bowler the last thing you want is to worry about having a slip fielder who is not really alert. That was never on my mind”, said Kumble.
Anil Kumble praised Dravid for his focus and Laxman for his optimism, says a report in the Deccan Herald.
“Rahul's concentration and focus was unbelievable. It was impossible for me to be that focused. And the amount of work that he put in, in order to prepare himself for a match, was really inspirational. What I liked the most about Laxman was that he was extremely positive no matter what the situation was. He never worried about how the pitch was and how it would behave. He bailed India out of trouble on innumerable occasions with his positivity and calmness.”
On the timing of their retirement, Kumble said, “I really admire the way both, Rahul and Laxman retired – they went out on their own terms, and I really appreciate that. Laxman could’ve easily played the Test series against New Zealand and then gone on a high. But he never looked at things from a personal perspective.”
