da realbet： After a ninth-month lay-off from cricket, Indian spin ace Anil Kumblebowled for the first time at a full-fledged competitive level onThursday and said he did not feel any discomfort, indicating that hewoul be totally fit in about two months
Staff and Agencies03-Aug-2001* Kumble bowls, says he is not feeling any discomfortAfter a ninth-month lay-off from cricket, Indian spin ace Anil Kumblebowled for the first time at a full-fledged competitive level onThursday and said he did not feel any discomfort, indicating that hewoul be totally fit in about two months.Kumble, who is leading the Karnataka State Cricket Association team,sent down ten overs at a stretch against Andhra in a three-day matchof the KSCA Diamond Jubilee All India tournament in Bangalore. “I didnot feel discomfort at all. I got my line and length alright.Hopefully, I will get a wicket tomorrow, ” Kumble, who had figures of10-1-26-0, said.Kumble had already said he was hoping to return to the Indian side forthe tour to South Africa in October. Having already taken 276 wicketsin 61 Tests, the leg-spinner is also looking forward to cross the 300mark. He has returned to competitive cricket after withdrawing midwaythrough a one-day series in Sharjah in October last year and thenundergoing shoulder surgery in Johannesburg in January.* Double delight for Venkatesh PrasadIt was a day of double delight for Karnataka medium pacer VenkateshPrasad. He was recalled for the three Test series in Sri Lankastarting later this month, and won the Arjuna award. First came thenews that he has been included in the 16-member team, and hours laterit was known that he was among the 16 Arjuna awardees announced for2000-01.”I am very happy to be back….I am eager to bowl,” Prasad toldreporters in Bangalore on getting the news. “I have been working on myfitness.”News of his inclusion in the team came in the midst of a match in theKSCA Diamond Jubilee All India tournament for the Coromandel CementCup. Prasad is a member of the KSCA XI, which is playing againstAndhra in a three-day match of the tournament.”The wickets in Sri Lanka are not very helpful for fast bowlers. But Iwill bowl a steady line and length and wait for the batsmen to makemistakes,” he said.* Four East Zone Academy players for NCAFour players from the East Zone Academy have been selected for theNational Cricket Academy. They are Mihir Diwakar of Bihar, SubitBiswal and Rakesh Mohanty of Orissa and Ritesh Jaiswal of Bengal.Mihir Diwakar represented the Under-19 Indian team in the World Cupwhile Rakesh Mohanty represented the Under-17 Indian team which wonthe Asian Championship at Dhaka last year. Ritesh Jaiswal has beenselected for the Bengal Ranji probables for the coming season.