'Kumble will motivate his team well' - GRV

[DesiChap]

Bangalore: Former captain Gundappa Viswanth rates Anil Kumble very highly and is confident that the Karnataka spinner will out-think Australia on their upcoming four-Test tour Down Under. Viswanath, a wristy batsman who scored 6,080 runs in 91 Tests with 14 centuries, spoke to Cricketnext.com about the Test series starting on December 26. Stressing that the 16-member Indian team picked for the Test series was a balanced one, the former middle-order batsman felt this could be the best chance for India to beat the mighty Aussies in an away series as the batsmen were in fine nick and Kumble was bowling with a lot of venom. Excerpts from the interview: Cricketnext: What do you think of Kumble’s captaincy in the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan? Viswanath: I think Anil led the side magnificently. His rich haul of 18 wickets showed once again that he is the best in the country. He is a thinking captain, who is always plotting the downfall of the opposition batsmen with not just one plan but also with back-up plans B and C. Being a very good student of the game, who believes in giving 100 percent every time he is on the field, Anil is the right choice to lead this talented and experienced side to Australia as he can out think the Aussies. Having said that, I would like to add that a captain is only as good as his team. It is not very easy to perform against the world champions in their own backyard. If any visiting team performs below par, there is nothing the captain can do. However, I am sure Anil can motivate this team to perform well. Anil’s (Kumble) confidence will be very high after the 1-0 home series win against Pakistan both as a bowler and captain. Moreover, he performed very well in the last away series against Australia in 2003-04, where he won us the Adelaide Test with figures of 5-154. Cricketnext: How do you rate the squad picked for Australia? Viswanath: I think it is a very balanced side. All the batsmen are in fine nick. Both the spinners – Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh – have complimented each other well, and when they bowl in tandem, they are a handful for any batting line-up in the world. I think even our new ball attack looks quite impressive. If all the bowlers are fit during the Test series, I don’t think there is any reason for the team not performing well. Cricketnext: What about the surprise inclusion of Virender Sehwag? Viswanath: Well, I don’t like to comment on individual selections as it is the selectors’ prerogative to pick the team and they might have had a specific role for Sehwag to play if the Indians consider going in with just one specialist spinner on fast tracks at Adelaide and Perth. With both Yuvraj Singh, who bowled very well in Pakistan’s second innings in Bangalore, and Sehwag proving their worth as part-time spinners, it gives more bowling options for Kumble. All in all, I think it is a well-balanced side and this could be the best chance to tame the Kangaroos in their own den. Cricketnext: What do you think of young Ishant Sharma’s bowling? Viswanth: This lad will go places. He looks matured for his age. I was very impressed with his five-wicket haul as he bowled his heart-out on a placid Chinnaswami Stadium pitch. Ishant will be an asset to the team in Australia because he is quite nippy and hits the deck from a good height which can be useful on hard and bouncy Australian wickets. Cricketnext: Would you like to comment on Irfan Pathan’s comeback? Viswanath: I think it was a superb comeback by Pathan. It takes something to score a century in your comeback Test. This guy is really talented and I wouldn’t be surprised if he matures as a good all-rounder during the Australian tour. I would also like to point out that the experience of Zaheer Khan and the enthusiasm of Rudra Prathap Singh would count a lot during the coming tour. http://www.cricketnext.com/news/kumble-will-motivate-his-team-well/28336-14.html

[theguyinallblue]

with Kumble at the helm of things..i think he will get more than 100% from the team... i am reasonably confident about our performance downunder this time.... if we manage to hold our own in the first test match... we have a good chance to win series this time... as the days are coming nearer... the confidence level is going up..