Kohli-Kumble pair is the new buzzword in cricket
MUMBAI: Taking over a successful team is considered the toughest job in coaching. The incoming candidate has to live up to expectations. Duncan Fletcher, who struggled to fill Gary Kirsten’s shoes, will vouch for it.
When Anil Kumble took over the reins from Ravi Shastri, the challenge was to take the team to the next level. Under Shastri, India blanked South Africa in the Test series, and had reached the semifinals of both the big-ticket events in limited-overs cricket – the 2015 World Cup and 2016 World T20 , while briefly occupying the No 1 ranking in Tests. Amazingly, Kumble’s team has exceeded expectations. Taking little time to settle down, he has been off to a dream start. It’s not just about winning but the brand of cricket has been so spectacular that the Kohli-Kumble combination is the new buzzword.
Shastri was a street-smart cricketer with a ruthless streak, Kumble was known for his aggression and never-say-die spirit. Their personalities have been reflected in the way the team performed under the two. Shastri gave South Africa (in the 2015 Test series) no chance, using every trick in the book to psyche them and crush them 3-0. However, it was a method which drew criticism as well.
On the other hand, Kumble has not looked to make it easy for his team, but yet managed to lift the team’s play a notch higher. The playing surfaces for the New Zealand and England series provided a better chance for the visitors to adapt, but Kohli’s men played with fearlessness and aggression.
The impressive point is that the captain and coach have managed the players to buy their philosophy of team comes first.
“I always said it was a very good move to make Kumble coach because he had recently retired so he knew what’s happening with our team and worldwide cricket,” said Gundappa Viswanath.
No one is known to charge up players like Shastri, with his stirring speeches. Then Shastri had established great rapport with Kohli. In some ways they were people with similar personality traits, outspoken with a ruthless streak. Kumble carried a reputation of a being no-nonsense man, so the challenge was how he would cope with the new role, where he would be often required to come down to the level of a young player and give him a patient hearing.
That he has adapted to the job well, the proof is in the way the youngsters have looked confident and comfortable in the series against England.
Most impressive was the way India fought back in four of the five games after losing the toss, exhibiting a never-say-die attitude which used to be a feature of Kumble’s game.