I was envious of Sachin the bowler: Kumble

BANGALORE: Anil Kumble revealed a long-kept secret on Wednesday. At a function here to release a book, he admitted to feeling envious of the book's protagonist Sachin Tendulkar.
After accepting the first copy of the Suresh Menon-edited "Sachin a Genius Unplugged" from none other fellow traveller Rahul Dravid, Kumble stated he was envious not of Sachin the master batsman but the bowler.
"Here I used to be, wondering what to do with the next ball, how to turn it, etc.And there was Sachin. Handed the ball, he would just roll his arm over and turn a leg break followed by a googly, both the same width, without seemingly a care in the world," said a smiling Kumble, his admiration for Tendulkar's genius most apparent.
Kumble didn't claim to have played any part in adding to Tendulkar's bowling skills but did say he played a part in some of his 100s including his maiden one.
"It was my debut Test and I was standing in the team balcony at Old Trafford when Kiran More told me 'Sachin is batting well, you'd better keep standing'. I had to do so whole day, save for a break for tea, till Sachin reached his maiden hundred and the match was saved," said Kumble, having the audience in splits.
Dravid, who officially released the book, for his part wondered how people could continue to write about Tendulkar. "It is not easy to write about Sachin, about whom so much has already been written and it is heartening to note that these writers were willing to write," said Dravid of the book that is basically a compilation of personalized stories on Tendulkar by leading writers from around the world. It also has personal essays from Kumble, Dravid and Bishan Bedi.