News

Kumble's sledging unexpected, says Yousuf

Mohammad Yousuf has said that he didn't expect Anil Kumble to sledge at him, which led to a loss of concentration and eventually, to his dismissal

Cricinfo staff
11-Dec-2007
Mohammad Yousuf was so surprised that Anil Kumble sledged him, that he lost his concentration, and ultimately his wicket, on the third day of the third Test in Bangalore.
"Moments before I got out, Anil Kumble threw a few words at me. I just walked up to him and told him that it doesn't look good for a senior player like him to behave in such a manner," Yousuf wrote in his column in the Times of India. "It was completely unexpected from someone like him."
The incident happened at the end of the 70th over, bowled by Harbhajan Singh. Kumble exchanged words with Yousuf, who was then on 23 from 71 balls. Just before the next over, bowled by Irfan Pathan, Yousuf walked over to gully where Kumble was fielding and continued with the verbal volley.
He was visibly agitated, Kumble patted him on the back and asked him to continue batting but Yousuf even had a word with the umpires Simon Taufel and Rudi Koertzen.
Six balls later, for the addition of just one run, Yousuf chased a wide one from Pathan and drove it straight to Yuvraj Singh at point.