Anil Kumble’s gesture which drew all-round praise, also got a pat on the back from chairman of national selectors Chandu Borde.‘‘It was one of the most memorable moments of cricket,’’ Borde said when asked to describe Kumble’s decision to bowl with a fractured jaw late on the third day of the fourth Test.‘‘I would classify him as a brave cricketer, one who is willing to give his all for the team,’’ he added.Cricketing parrallels to the ‘Kumble effort’ have been far and few between over the years, but Borde was quick to relate two incidents from his playing days which came close to this.‘‘Nari Contractor’s brave attempt to bat on despite a cracked rib and broken fingers in the 1958 Lord’s Test is one of the closest that comes to my mind.‘‘But who can forget Vijay Manjrekar. He came out to bat with a plastered hand just to help me get a second hundred in the match (1959 Delhi Test v West Indies). That I missed the magic figure in tragic manner (got out hit-wicket) is a different matter. What was improtant was the gesture,’’ Borde said.
