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Anil Kumble takes on a jumbo challenge

Anil Kumble can be given the charge of Indian cricket with complete authority.

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Anil Kumble © IANS
Anil Kumble © IANS

Finally, the mad-race is over and after months of speculations and claims coming in from many immensely talented cricket managers, former India captain Anil Kumble has emerged as the new coach of Indian cricket team. India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, who is also only the second man ever in the history of cricket to take 10 wickets in an innings, Kumble certainly looks like a man who can be given the charge of Indian cricket with complete authority. A resolute character on and off the field, Kumble will be expected to achieve those feats which none of his predecessors have not even dared thinking about. ALSO READ: Anil Kumble appointed Indian cricket team’s head coach

‘Jumbo’ as he was fondly called for his peculiar bowling style, Kumble has landed into one of the toughest jobs in international cricket. The job of coaching international teams comes along with different set of expectations, but as far as India is concerned, it becomes extremely challenging with an unforgiving media and a vast majority of fans who decline to accept defeats. ALSO READ: Why Kumble is ideal choice for India coach?

Kumble’s appointment certainly marks the end of India’s flirtations with foreign coaches; as somewhere during the last few years the cricket management would have observed the chasm between an overseas coach and players, who may not get along right from the onset.

But with Kumble coming in, a lot can be entrusted on the former captain to take care of. Duncan Fletcher was criticised for not going around the country scouting talents, but an in-house man like Kumble would be aware of the talent that is there at his perusal. He would be aware of the processes, the shortcomings, the strengths as well as the knowledge of how things work in Indian cricket set up.

Kumble comes in as the coach of the Indian team for one year. Within this time frame, India will be playing 4 Tests in West Indies, 1 against Bangladesh at home, 3 versus New Zealand, as many as 5 against England and 4 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2016-17. There are 8 ODIs as well as 3 T20Is as well.

All this will end with another season of IPL and then the all-important ICC Champions Trophy 2017, which will be a prelude to the World Cup 2019 to be held in England. The next one year will be a stern test for the Indian cricket team, and their new head coach, who reportedly had impressed the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), consisting of former teammates, with his presentation and thus was rewarded with the top job.

(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)

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