Performance more important than pitches: Kumble

Ahead of a bumper season set to feature 13 Tests on home soil, India coach Anil Kumble has stressed pitch conditions are not as influential on results as the national media suggest. 

India today named a 15-man squad for their three-Test series against New Zealand, with fast-bowler Shardul Thakur and allrounder Stuart Binny omitted from the 17-man squad that went on their recent tour of the Caribbean.Batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma retain their spots in the Test squad despite some impressive performances the likes of Manish Pandey, Karun Nair and Shreyas Iyer for India A in the Queensland 'A' series.

Next week’s Kanpur Test against the Black Caps, India's 500th Test match, is set to kick off a mammoth home season, and despite their dominance in their own conditions in recent times, Kumble insists if India want to be the top Test side in the world, the pitches they play on should not be a major concern.

“When I was captain, the first question in a media conference when we played in India was ‘what do you think of the pitch?’” he told Indian media.

“I am more concerned about what kind of cricket we play on that pitch.

“The Indian media certainly scrutinises the pitch more than any other media. Everybody wants to either not read anything or read too much into what happens off the first ball that is bowled.

“If you want to be the No. 1 team, you shouldn’t worry about pitches.”

Kumble’s charges have a golden chance to re-stake their claim for the No.1 Test ranking, now held by rivals Pakistan.

Poor weather in the fourth Test of their recent tour of the West Indies meant India, despite winning the series 2-0, were denied the chance to claim the mantle of world’s best in Port of Spain, with just 22 overs bowled in the match.

After their series against the Black Caps, India host England for five Tests, Bangladesh for a one-off Test before Australia arrive for a four-Test series in February.

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Since Australia last lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2004 in the country former Test captain Steve Waugh labelled “the final frontier”, India have been formidable in their own backyard, having lost just a single home Test series (to England in 2012) in almost 12 years.

It’s an imposing record for the four sides touring the world’s second-most populous nation over the coming months.

Though the relentless nature of the schedule means the upcoming Test series will present a challenge for the hosts as well, according to Kumble.

“Thirteen Test matches with three to four days’ gap and even during that gap, there will one day of travel, it (fitness) is going to be a challenge,” he said.

“We were conscious of that even in the West Indies. It is crucial that the squad remains physically fit and goes through those 13 games.”

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And Kumble, India’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, believes the current side’s togetherness will be vital to their chances in those games.

“The biggest takeaway for me (from the West Indies tour) was that this team is extremely committed,” he said. “They are all extremely skilful and you asked them to do anything and they are ready.

“The camaraderie in this side is something that I am impressed with.”

India squad:

Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, W Saha (wicketkeeper), R Jadeja, M Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav.

New Zealand Test squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Mark Craig, Ish Sodhi, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

Test schedule:

September 22: 1st Test at Kanpur

September 30: 2nd Test at Kolkata

October 8: 3rd Test at Indore