Chappell welcomes Kumble appointment

Former India coach Greg Chappell has welcomed the appointment of Anil Kumble as an "inspired choice", and said he believes the partnership with captain Virat Kohli will serve India well.

Chappell coached India between 2005 and 2007 but endured a tumultuous period in charge, characterised by a difficult relationship with key players Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

Ganguly, Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were part of the BCCI committee that selected former teammate Kumble for the captaincy last week.

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Ganguly, who had originally recommended Chappell for the post of India's head coach, raked over the coals of the Chappell era when he said he had "messed it up in 2005" in the lead-up to the appointment of Kumble.

"I once had an opportunity to select the coach. I thought I messed it up in 2005," Ganguly told Indian media.

"I’m given that opportunity again. Hopefully we will do it correctly this time. Luckily, I have got support in Sachin, VVS, the BCCI secretary and president. Together we will pick the right person."

Kumble’s appointment might well be one of the few things Ganguly and Chappell do agree on.

The Australian said Kumble's "indomitable will was his greatest asset" and that "he was the heart to Rahul Dravid’s soul" of the teams they played in.

"If they had been blessed to have been surrounded by other selfless individuals whose only aim was to serve the team, the Indian teams in which they played would have been impossible to beat," Chappell wrote in The Hindu newspaper.

"Kumble was never one to blow his own trumpet, but no one ever needed to be told that he was giving the team everything that he had. Whether with the bat or the ball or in the field, Kumble competed with a tenacity that few Indian players have surpassed."

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Chappell, who is now Cricket Australia's National Talent Manager, backed Kumble to change what he called Indian cricket's reliance on "natural ability and flair rather than diligent preparation".

"Too often in the past, Indian teams have tried to take short-cuts rather than work hard so any success has been fleeting," Chappell wrote.

"It was something that I was appointed to change, but it needed key players, not least of all the captain (Ganguly), to buy-in and lead by example.

"Sadly, this didn’t happen until Dravid was appointed and the next 12 months brought some consistent success because of the change at the top."

Chappell added he did not forsee similar problems for Kumble with Virat Kohli the team's Test and ODI captain, and a near certainty to take over the T20 reins when MS Dhoni decides to call time on his career.

"The greatest asset that Kumble has is that he has a captain who has a robust self-belief, is courageous and who will lead by example in all areas," Chappell wrote.

Kumble's first series in charge will be a four-Test tour of the West Indies, before a bumper 13-Test home season that includes a four-match Border-Gavaskar series with Australia.

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Chappell said managing the health of India's fast bowlers would be key to India's success.

"The level of expectation that has greeted Kumble’s appointment borders on unrealistic so, unless he gets the support of all of the key stakeholders, it may prove to be too much even for his indomitable spirit," he added.