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HomeOpinionDiaryOver to you, Anil ‘Jumbo’ Kumble

Over to you, Anil ‘Jumbo’ Kumble

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First things first. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) bowled the best googly by appointing Anil Kumble for the coveted position of Head Coach of the Indian team. A positive move, that some of India’s best players are selecting the trainer, rather than politicians and businessmen who usually run BCCI.

Interestingly, while his candidacy was initially rejected by the BCCI, as it failed to meet the requisite criteria, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, wanted to extract more from their former team-mate.  The Committee, in the end, did a splendid job by picking Anil Kumble, beating the likes of Ravi Shastri, Tom Moody, Stuart Law etc., in the interest of Indian cricket.

Ganguly kept his promise, by not repeating a “Greg Chappel mistake”. ‘Jimmy’ Amarnath, who once called the selection committee a “bunch of jokers”, responded to Kumble’s selection: “Right man for the right job”.

So, Anil Kumble returns to the dressing room, with a difference.  Though his prior tryst with coaching is limited to RCB and Mumbai Indians, he will not shy away from the challenge to take Indian cricket to the next level. He knows India has not won a Test match outside the subcontinent for the last five years (with the exception of 2014 Lords Test vs. England), but have lost 15 games.  We are tigers at home and lambs overseas.

Probably, the Committee felt Kumble will be the “jumbo” for the job. Can the former leg-spinner’s stature as a player – India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests with 619 scalps – offset his lack of coaching experience?  Is coaching a different ball game? He has always relished challenges on the field.  Here is one more, a variant one.

Kumble played with Kohli at RCB in his formative IPL years, so they will be looking to build on the existing mentor-mentee relationship. He will command the dressing room respect even before he dons the new avataar. Test matches are won by bowlers and there is none better than the former successful Indian leg-spinner to guide Team India. He will have a say in team composition and strategy that will be invaluable for the camp in the coming months.

Toughness and commitment will be redefined.  Remember, Kumble bowled with a broken jaw and claimed the wicket of Brian Lara? The players will need to give their 100 pc each time they walk into the field.  The dignified handling of the “monkey-gate” episode will help him to guide Kohli on how to deal diplomatically with such incidents. The experience, the temperament, administrative calibre, competitive streak and the never-say-die attitude – all will go to make the 45-year old champion, a complete team-instructor.

A gentleman, yet aggressive with no political orientation, Kumble’s records speak for his integrity and dedication for the game. No bowler in history won India more Test matches than Anil Kumble. One thing is for sure. He will be fair, hardworking, unbiased and no-nonsense coach, which will be good for the team. He will be the best fit to create a political-free environment. Kumble is truly, a great ambassador of cricket.

India will have a packed schedule of 13 Tests, which will help cricket pundits appraise how the team’s 11th coach would gel with the young captain Virat Kohli.  A new era has dawned in Indian cricket.

C.S. Krishnamurthy

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

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