We’ll treat Aussies like any other team, Kumble says
INDIA COACH SAYS LAST 9 TESTS AT HOME HAD THEIR OWN CHALLENGES
ndia coach Anil Kumble is aware that Australia will come hard at his team but said the hosts will not attach any special significance to this series and would treat Steve Smith and Co like any other side.
Australia had lost 0-4 during their previous tour to India and Kumble said his team will have plans to counter the visiting side when the first Test begins here tomorrow.
“We respect every opposition. We spoke about this even before the season started with New Zealand. England was tougher. We all know the Australian team. They are really professional, but I would like to treat them as any other team,” Kumble said.
“I don’t think we need to attach any other significance to this series other than what we need to do to tick all those boxes we have been doing over last six to eight months.
“They are a good side, have some good batsmen and bowlers. The approach they tend to take is to be aggressive. We are aware of it and we will put together strategies in place to counter that,” he added.
The former leg-spinner said his team is capable of adapting to different challenges and focusing on things which they can control rather than worrying over the nature of the pitch ahead of the first Test starting tomorrow.
“One thing we’ve constantly spoken about and tried to be aware of is what is in our control. The least that we discuss is about the pitch, about the toss. We keep countering these types of questions at the start of the series or match, saying how is the pitch and what do you think about the toss,” said Kumble.
The former leg-spinner pointed out how India had come out of difficult situations a number of times since the start of the home season against New Zealand in October last year.
“If you look back at the nine Tests that we’ve played at home, each one has its own challenges. We’ve played on some new venues, first Test match. We’ve played at venues where Test cricket hasn’t been played before. So in that sense this team is capable of adjusting and adapting to whatever challenges come up. Really satisfied with the way things have gone,” Kumble said.
“On the last day of the Test match in Chennai, I don’t think many gave India a chance to win the Test, let alone after England scored almost 500 runs in the first innings. Even in Mumbai it was a similar case, where we lost the toss and they put 400 runs and we won by an innings. That’s the beauty about this team.
“Even in Kolkata where we played New Zealand, it was in very different conditions where the seamers came into the picture. We had answers to all those questions. That’s what you want from a champion team and that’s exactly what we’re trying Australia coach Darren Lehmann is in favour of doing away with the toss, and feels that flip of the coin won’t have any bearing on the result of the upcoming Test series in India.
Lehmann has already expressed his reservations about the toss and feels that a visiting side should be given the option of choosing whether to bat or bowl.
“We won four tosses last time we were here and lost 4-0,” Lehmann said of the defeats that kick-started a nine-Test losing streak in the subcontinent. “You’ve still got to play well if you win a toss,” he was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP). “My views on the toss is that it should just go anyway, that’s the way I’ve always been. Whether you’re here or Australia, it doesn’t matter.”
The Australian coach said he is expecting friendly pitches to be prepared in the four-Test series, starting in Pune tomorrow.
“They produce good wickets, so looking forward to good five-day Test [pitches] that deteriorate over five days,” Lehmann said. to build towards and not really worry about the pitch or conditions,” said India’s highest Test wicket-taker.
Virat Kohli’s men is currently sharing the record of Kohli’s men is currently sharing the record of undefeated run of 19 Tests with Kapil Dev-led side in the mid1980s.
To a question regarding the record, Kumble said his team is just focusing on doing well in the first session for now and not thinking about any impending landmarks. “Yes those things are there but we don’t want to look too far ahead, would like to take this Test match, focusing on this Test and then Bengaluru and the others. We would like to start off on a good note here,” he said.
“We take one game at a time, right at start of New Zealand series we looked at the entire season. It’s important to start every Test with the first session, that’s how we look at things we want to start on a good note.