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India’s new Test skipper Anil Kumble couldn’t have wished for a better venue than Feroz Shah Kotla to make his captaincy debut. The lanky spinner couldn’t have wished for better opponents than Pakistan either.

Almost eight years back, at the same venue and against the same opponents, Kumble took a perfect ten to guide India to a memorable Test triumph. Delhi has been really nice for me personally and also for Team India. I hope we have a good start in Delhi and I hope it continues,” he said.

In 1999, Kumble took 10-74 in the second innings on a crumbling Kotla pitch as India beat Pakistan in a nail-biting thriller. He is one of the senior most players in the side and the one bowler who has won India the most matches. But it would be the first time that he would be captaining his country in a Test but being preferred over one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Kumble, who has taken 566 wickets from 118 Test appearances, said that he won’t be under any pressure. “There won’t be any pressure. On the ground, I will be thinking about the bowling and about taking wickets. I will also try to motivate others,” he said.

Kumble lost Rudra Pratap Singh and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth — two of his key pacers — before the start of the match but the veteran spinner is not concerned. “Injuries are a part and parcel of the game. It is unfortunate that somebody like Sreesanth and RP Singh will miss out. But I believe we have the quality to go out there and win the match. Somebody like Munaf (Patel) has done well in the past and he is also doing well in the domestic season,” he explained.

He also played down the injury of Dhoni, who twisted his ankle in the final one-dayer against Pakistan in Jaipur on Sunday. “Dhoni looks fine. He did everything that needs to be done,” he said.

Kumble said that there was no senior-junior divide in the Indian camp. “At the end of the day what matters is the result. Everyone knows his responsibilities; nobody takes his place for granted. In sport, you have to be at the top of your game all the time. It is tough. If you look at the quality of the side, people have been consistent over the last 15-18 years and in some cases last 12-14 years. That is the way it is. It is a healthy competition we have in the side,” he added.

Source:Cricket News