Top 4 debutants during Anil Kumble's tenure

In a shocking turn of events, Anil Kumble stepped down from his role of the head coach of Indian cricket on Tuesday. It marked the end to an era which saw Indian cricket flourish under the tutelage of the legendary leg-spinner.

Under his coaching, India won almost everything that came their way, both home and away. It was a dream run for any coach and certainly the one which can’t be matched easily.

In the past one year, the Indian side had quite a youthful look about it. Youngsters flourished, and some of them made their debut during Kumble’s tenure. They performed well and now present themselves as assets for the national side.

Let’s take a look at the 4 top players who debuted under Anil Kumble:

#1 Jayant Yadav

England toured India for five Tests last year. India survived a scare in the first match at Rajkot where the English batsmen took full toll on the bowlers. The Virat Kohli-led side somehow managed to draw the game on the last day.

Amit Mishra’s inefficiency led to his exclusion from the playing XI which meant that Jayant Yadav made his debut in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. The off-spinner made an immediate impact and bagged 4 wickets and scored 62 useful runs in the match that India won.

At the end of the series, Jayant finished with 9 wickets from 3 matches and amassed 221 runs from 4 innings that included a century at Wankhede. His all-round abilities were lauded by many and the 27-year-old did full justice to his selection.

There were occasions in the series where he bowled even better that Ravichandran Ashwin. With a spinner like him in the wings, team India has assurance in the spin department.

#2 Karun Nair

Karun Nair hasn't been able to sustain his form but has a lot of ability

During the India-England Test series, there was another debutant who went on to do wonders. Karun Nair was picked in the playing XI for the 3^rd Test in Mohali owing to an injury to KL Rahul. The right-hander failed to make an impact straightaway and got out for just 13 in the only innings he got in the match.

In the next match at Mumbai, he didn’t have a great outing either and could muster only 4 runs. But his fortunes took a drastic turn in the final Test at Chennai.

Nair scored 303 runs in the first innings and became only the second Indian player after Virender Sehwag to score a triple century. His superlative effort enabled India to enforce a thumping 4-0 victory in the Test series.

But since that game, the right-hander hasn’t been able to match that performance. He failed in the Tests against Australia and even in the IPL, had a torrid time with Delhi Daredevils. Having said that, under Kumble, he showed glimpses of the star he can be in the future.

#3 Kuldeep Yadav

Yadav is one for the future with his chinaman bowling

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2017 had seen plenty of ups and downs as the Australians had shocked India by winning the first Test in Pune. India made a comeback by winning in Bengaluru and the third Test ended in a draw.

The deciding Test was to be played in Dharamsala and India brought in 22-year-old chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav to the line-up. He scalped 4 wickets in the first innings that included David Warner, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins.

Australia were halted to a paltry score and Indian went on to win the match as well as reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It’s the only international match Kuldeep has played so far and he has been included in the squad for India’s tour of Windies.

The left-hander could be lethal against the Caribbean batsmen who are not known for their prowess against the spinning ball.

#4 Rishabh Pant

Pant has impressed one and all with his explosive style of batting

If there is any young Indian cricketer who has caught the eyes of everyone recently, it has to be Rishabh Pant. The 19-year-old came to the limelight with his recent performances in the IPL where he lit up the tournament with his blistering batting.

He has played just one international match so far. Earlier this year, in a T20I match against England at Bengaluru, he was given his first Indian cap. The left-hander didn’t get to contribute a lot and scored an unbeaten 5 runs off 3 balls which included a boundary.

The special attribute of the left-hander is the ability to go after the bowling from the outset. In IPL 2017, he played several innings where he looked at ease even against the fiery overseas pacers and sent them over the ropes on a consistent basis.

The experts have rated the wicket-keeper very highly and some see him as a potential replacement for MS Dhoni in the future. Pant certainly has the ability to make it big at the international arena. If he can perform well in the upcoming tour of West Indies, he can surely be a great prospect for India in the future.