With the narrow series loss Down Under early this year still fresh in mind, Indian captain Anil Kumble says his side is all geared up to keep the record straight against the visiting Australians in the four-match Test series beginning in Bangalore on October 9. He said Team India is looking forward to playing good and competitive cricket against the Aussies, taking the benefit of home advantage.
'Do not forget the role of Anil Kumble! Anil Kumble has been a fighter all his cricketing career, you could see when he went out with a broken jaw and bowled, and that spirit is seen in the KXIP'
'...whether he is a top player or not, it doesn't matter.' 'If I go by a player's name I won't be able to bowl at my best.' 'For me he is just a batter, and my only focus is where I need to land the ball.'
Join us in celebrating Anil Kumble's birthday by posting your wishers here.
Former captain Anil Kumble pitched in for the inclusion of Harbhajan Singh in the Indian squad for the home series against Australia and England later this year.
Not many people would endorse the view that 31-year-old Mohammed Kaif can make a comeback in international cricket but former India captain Anil Kumble feels that the Uttar Pradesh batsman can prove to be a handful in the longer format.
The fitness and form of skipper Anil Kumble is India's main concern ahead of the second Test against Australia starting in Mohali on Friday. The leg spinner, who turns 38 on Friday, said after the game he hopes to be 100 percent fit to team up with off spinner Harbhajan Singh on a bouncier Mohali pitch that should suit him.
"... I know there's been a lot of debate about shining the ball but the idea was to kickstart cricket, play the sport, and then I'm sure things will fall in place. Yes, there will be some challenges. You have to go one game at a time.'
The crushing loss against South Africa in Ahmedabad on Saturday may rank as one of India's worst defeats in Test cricket, but captain Anil Kumble is unperturbed. The veteran spinner believes that his team is confident they can win the third and final Test in Kanpur and level the three-match series.
India captain Anil Kumble on Sunday lauded rich tributes on Virender Sehwag for his blazing 319 in the first Test against South Africa, saying it is one of the best ever innings he has seen.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble was all praise for Manish Pandey, who scored a brilliant 114 off 73 balls and set the platform for victory against Deccan Chargers in the last league match of the IPL.
Sachin Tendulkar, who is still recovering after elbow surgery, was named in the squad for the two-Test series against Zimbabwe.
Indian Test captain Anil Kumble on Monday endorsed his ODI counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni's view that back-to-back matches are taking a toll on the players' bodies. "It's never easy to play back-to-back one-day games," Kumble told reporters when his reaction was sought on Dhoni's comments.
Reader Girish sent us these pictures from Bangalore.
There is definitely a bit of lacuna: Bangar on Kumble quitting
Sachin Tendulkar, Sania, Mirza, Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli hailed Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's successful landing
Uncapped Haryana seamer Joginder Sharma and Bihar wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were named in the 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series.
'Congratulations MS Dhoniji and CSK. We are happy that at least some sportspersons are getting respect and love they deserve. For us, the fight for justice is still on,' Sakshi said in her tweet, which received more than 50,000 likes and nearly 10,000 retweets in 12 hours.
The ace leg spinner scored a maiden hundred as India amassed 664 in their first innings on Day 2 of the third Test against England.
Not too concerned by Rahul Dravid's failure as opener, Indian skipper Anil Kumble on Saturday defended the embattled right-hander, urging him to relax and play his natural game to mould himself in the new role.
Indian team boasts of world's best spinners and it has enough experience in both bowling and batting to outwit hosts England during the upcoming series, said former coach Anil Kumble.
The leg spinner would re-join his team-mates ahead of the second Test starting in Lahore on April 5.
India's Test stumper says the two spinners have more variety in their bowling.
Former batting ace Sunil Gavaskar welcomed the appointment of Anil Kumble as India's head coach, saying "ache din" awaits Indian cricket.
Former India coach Anil Kumble is in the running for the Coach of the Year award in the inaugural edition of the Indian Sports Honours, instituted by the RP-SG Group in association with the foundation of skipper Virat Kohli.
Srikantadatta Narasimharaaja Wadiyar has been elected President, while Brijesh Patel was voted back as Secretary in the Karnataka State Cricket Association in the polls held during its Annual General Meeting in Bangalore on Sunday.
India's captain said Rohan Gavaskar and Amit Bhandari were unlucky to miss out on the Pakistan trip.
Joining Kumble as the 78th inductee will be the late Betty Wilson of Australia, one of the greatest women cricketers of all-time.
Frequently changing captains and coaches has hurt Kings XI Punjab in the past and that is why the franchise has decided to work on a three-year plan under Anil Kumble and K L Rahul to take the side forward, co-owner Ness Wadia said.
Ravichandran Ashwin's childhood coach Sunil Subramanian wished the experienced off-spinner ahead of his 100th Test as India is set to lock horns with England in the fifth and final Test of the five-match series at Dharamsala from Thursday.
The India captain said absence of a quality spinner like Shane Warne makes the Australian spin-attack vulnerable.
It's not easy if one is not an automatic choice in the playing eleven but if there is a coach like Anil Kumble to fall back on during the lean phase life becomes much easier, claims Amit Mishra.
'Hunting in pairs' is an often-used maxim about fast bowlers, but Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have given a new spin to it, consistently troubling the opposition in more ways than one.
The ace legspinner said he is looking forward to some international cricket after a long break.
'Fan wars should never go this ugly a route. One should remember which country these players represent -- our country. So, then what warrants a cricketer getting booed?'
The veteran leg-spinner on Wednesday said he is ready to take over as India's next Test captain if asked to.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances