Challenges that await Kumble as India coach

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  • Kumble's tenure will need him to confront challenges up front (Getty)

    Anil Kumble’s appointment as the new coach of India comes as no great surprise really, after rampant speculation that he was, in fact, the heavy favourite.

    He has been appointed on a one-year contract, with the names of his right hand men as yet pending a formal appointment.

    Kumble’s first task is to manage the upcoming, four-Test tour of the West Indies.

    While immediate preparations will be directed towards the new Team India’s Caribbean adventure, it is only one in a series of challenges that await the former Indian skipper as he prepares to take on the cricketing world in his first assignment.

    Here are five challenges that Kumble has to grapple with as he begins his tenure as coach of India.

    A MISFIRING AND UNIMAGINATIVE LIMITED OVERS UNIT

    Despite India’s impressive limited-overs aura, it remains telling that the last title they captured was the Champions Trophy in 2013. The side has been found wanting in one crunch or another, running out of ideas at one crucial juncture or another.

    The ICC World T20 semi-final against the West Indies was an example of such a brick wall, coming after the euphoric late victory against Bangladesh.

    All too often, India have had to fall back on superannuated warhorses such as Ashish Nehra, while young hopefuls like Hardik Pandya have produced, at best, mixed results. Kumble’s task is to enhance creativity and reduce the flakiness of a side that, arguably, should have won more titles than it has.

    INDIA’S SPINNERS IN UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS

    India’s two senior spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, have shown a remarkable discrepancy in their home and away performances. Ashwin, for example, had a splendid time at home to South Africa (31 wickets at 11.12) but struggled on the last full tour outside the subcontinent: Australia in 2014-15 (12 wickets at 48.66).

    Perhaps their limitations will not be exposed under Kumble in the near future, for after West Indies tour, India are scheduled to play New Zealand and England, but at home.

    Tailoring their game to improve in unhelpful conditions is critical to India’s bowling hopes, for the spinning alternatives are the green horns Akshar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal, or veteran Harbhajan Singh.

    It is unlikely Jadeja or Ashwin will encounter a minefield like the Nagpur pitch (against the South Africans) too often, and as someone whose own game improved dramatically away from home in the latter half of his career, Kumble will certainly have some useful advice for India’s spin twins.

    TWO DIFFERENT CAPTAINS

    Striking up a rapport with the captain is more or less the first priority of a new coach, and Kumble will be no different. His challenge, however, has quite literally doubled: Kumble needs to reach an understanding with both Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni if he is to prove to be a successful coach.

    The practice of having separate captains began, interestingly enough, when Kumble was appointed the Test captain himself, with Dhoni in charge of limited overs encounters.

    Eight years on, and Dhoni is still there, while Kumble now stands on the sidelines, relaying instructions to not just one but two sets of ears.

    SHORT-TERMISM

    Kumble has been handed a one-year contract, perhaps as a challenge from the board to prove his worth before they commit to an extension. The shortened duration of the contract, however, may subtly weigh on Kumble’s approach to the game.

    Since his margin for error is small, it would be interesting to see if Kumble is pre-occupied with trying not to lose instead of trying to win for the sake of preserving his job and securing an extension.

    Whether or not he is a cautious coach will be proved in the coming months, but if Kumble encourages positive cricket and chances his arm in pursuit of victory, more power to him. It would be a refreshing attitude to see.

    CONTRARIAN VOICE IN THE DRESSING ROOM

    Perhaps this is where Kumble’s steady hand and sense of resolute calm will prove to be force that steadies the ship in times of crisis. It is a young, hot blooded Indian dressing room, led by perhaps the most vigorous of all in Kohli.

    Passion and ferocity are always good to see in athletes, but sometimes this very brand of aggression practiced by Kohli needs to be checked by someone who is, in theory at least, its opposite.

    The game, after all, is not merely an exercise in emotion and excitement. It also demands a firm hand and a methodical sense of calm if one is to succeed at the highest level. Kumble may just prove to be yang to Kohli’s yin.

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