5 things that can be expected from Anil Kumble's Team India

Legendary Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble has been appointed the head coach of the Indian team and will be joining them on the 4-Test tour of the West Indies. The decision of the BCCI to select Kumble for the role has drawn a lot of praise from former as well as current cricketers including India’s Test skipper, Virat Kohli.

Kohli will be gaining first-hand experience of working with the iconic cricketer as he will be leading the side that the 45-year old is due to coach. In the one-year term that has been provided to Kumble, we may witness a few changes in the way that the Indian team plays its cricket.

Let’s take a look at 5 things that can be expected from Anil Kumble's Team India :

1. Meticulous planning and high levels of integrity

Planning the batsman’s demise was Kumble’s forte as a player

During his playing days, Anil Kumble was a master at planning the dismissals of batsmen and used to set them up beautifully to fall into his spin trap. Even during his short tenure as Indian skipper, his methodical approach was witnessed and appreciated by many. Although the current Indian team has not found itself lacking in terms of planning, Kumble’s inputs could provide them the extra edge that they require in order to be more consistent.

The most successful Test bowler in India’s cricketing history also garnered a lot of respect for the integrity with which he played his cricket. We can expect that this quality of Anil Kumble will also rub off on the Indian players and they will display increased levels of integrity both on and off the field.

2. Controlled aggression and disciplined approach

Kumble seldom showed aggression on the field

One would be highly mistaken to consider Anil Kumble’s mild-mannered approach to be his lack of aggression. The Karnataka leggie was always aggressive as a bowler but had the ability to control it and display it only through his bowling. The Virat Kohli-led Indian team has often been accused of being over-aggressive on the field and Kumble’s presence could provide them with a much-needed calming influence.

Discipline is another huge asset that someone like Anil Kumble brings to the plate and it is a trait that he will be expected to imbibe into the young Team India. Although the Indian legend is unlikely to be too strict with the players, their respect for him may help him do the job of keeping them in check.

3. Spinners bowling bouncers

Anil Kumble had started off as a fast bowler

Kumble’s greatest weapon as a bowler was to surprise the batsmen with his numerous variations. He was also a wicketkeeper’s nightmare with the amount of bounce that he managed to extract from the pitch. India’s spin spearhead at present, Ravichandran Ashwin, and his partner, Ravindra Jadeja, also keep on adding new variations in their armoury from time to time.

With the master leggie taking over as Indian coach, we could soon see Ashwin and Jadeja including the bouncer to their repertoire just to give them that surprise delivery for the batsmen. If that happens, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha may have his work cut out and may require some extra protection while facing up to the tweakers in the side.

4. Bowlers giving fielders the kitchen sink treatment for every misfield

Kumble hardly ever spared the fielders for misfielding

Anil Kumble was never among the swiftest of fielders in the Indian team but he certainly showed high levels of commitment on the field. Perhaps that was the reason that Jumbo, as Kumble is fondly known, used to get furious when the fielders gave away runs off his bowling through misfields and one could often see him letting out angry grunts every time something like this happened.

Some of the current Indian bowlers already have the habit of getting after fielders even though they are themselves not top notch with their fielding. We can expect that this will only increase and the Indians will have to be on their toes on the field.

5. Tailenders sharpening their batting skills

Anil Kumble scored a century at the Oval

Apart from being one of the best bowlers of his time, Anil Kumble was also an effective batsman for India lower down the order. Throughout his career, Kumble valued his wicket a lot and used to be a trusted partner for the likes of Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid. To add to it, he also scored a Test century to his name, that too in foreign conditions.

Keeping this in mind, the pressure is surely going to be on the tailenders in the present team to improve their batting. While India bats quite deep these days with Ashwin being a handy batsman at No. 8, some of the bowlers like Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma may be pushed to contribute more to the team’s batting.