Anil Kumble won't back down from a challenge on India's cricket tour of Australia and has a positive attacking attitude, former coaches of the two teams said Monday. India tour here from late this month and Kumble has the task of leading a winning touring side to Australia for the first time since the West Indies' victory in 1991-92.
Former India coach John Wright and his former Australian opposite John Buchanan believe Kumble, 37, is a calm, determined man who plays to win and will not be swayed by Australia's likely attempt to put him off his game. Wright, who coached India from 2000-05, said the 121-Test legspinner had the experience, temperament and tactical nous to do a good job.
"I think he's a good choice as skipper," Wright said Monday. "He's fiercely determined ... I wouldn't like to fight him, put it that way. "He doesn't back down and I like his attitude because he looks to attack with the way he captains.
"The one game he did with me (a one-day win over England in 2002), I was very impressed with his outlook, which was very positive." Squad members Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid have all captained India, but had problems maintaining their individual standards while leading the world's most-watched side.
India arrive here on Tuesday and begin their tour with a three-day match against Victoria, starting Thursday, before the first Test starts on Boxing Day. Buchanan, who retired as Australia coach this year, said Kumble was not only a match-winning bowler, but a good thinker of the game who commanded respect.
"He's their best choice, no doubt about that," Buchanan said Monday. "He's a very humble sort of person, but he's a man who's quite determined. "He presents as the right captain of this side, I think he has the respect of the older group - Ganguly, Tendulkar and Dravid - but also the younger players think he's the right person at the helm.
"He will find it a testing time of his captaincy capabilities but my view is he's a pretty astute sort of person, a pretty resilient guy and pretty impervious to outside distractions." Kumble, who is third on the list of Test wicket takers behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne, recently led India to a win over Pakistan in his first series as skipper.