Anil Kumble would teach Indian cricket how to win Tests overseas: Harbhajan Singh

What are your early memories with him …
I first played with him much before my India debut. I turned up for Chemplast – a club cricket team in Chennai – and he was the leader there. I was barely 17 then, and he helped me a lot. He was already India’s greatest leg-spinner and he would still give me lots of time. Helping me get my cricket kit to how to set fields as a bowler. When he would set-up the field, I would observe and he would tell, try bowling this line, try that. Looking back, all that help was great. Then we started to play together for India, and even there he was always helpful. Even now, in terms of bowling or anything personal, I can walk up to him and ask him what I should do.

Over the years, your relationship matured, you also became a senior bowler. How was the relationship later? Any specific examples where he helped you out …
Not just in the early years, even as late as the IPL, he has helped me a lot as a bowler. I had captained the Mumbai Indians team but hadn’t done well as a bowler. The moment Anil bhai took over, he spent a lot of time with me at the nets. And next year, I was the highest wicket taker. And again in the second year when he was there, I took 18 wickets. It helped me a lot when he has been there. You can walk up to him, and say, “Anil bhai, aake dekho mujhe nets mein, kya ho raha hai? (Observe me at nets and see whats happening). He would spend quality time, give good tips. He is that kind of person. Just not for me, for anyone.

I was the captain and didn’t want to captain as my own form was going down and was not happy with the way the team was going. At times, I didn’t even finish my quota of overs. When you are captain, you think too much and at times you even forget that you are the best guy to get that result that you are pushing hard for as a captain. When he came back, he worked with me, he made sure that I get what I want at every practice sessions. Every session was approached to get something out of it. We also talked about the other stuff that had gone wrong – those mental decisions that did it. We spoke a lot, we worked a lot at the nets.

Was he a guy you cracked a lots of jokes on you or any other player in the team?
Anil bhai was the most serious of all the big players. Jinke saath mazaak karne mey humey thoda hesitation hota tha. (We would be reluctant to joke with him) You could do it with Dravid and Tendulkar but with Kumble, you didn’t! On cricketing things, and personal life as well, you can talk anything. Sri bhai (Srinath) would make fun of him. But even he was scared of him at times! Maybe not scared, but what do you say, respect wala baat ho jaata tha. I also didn’t try! There was this one time though, recently. As we all know, he is a great photographer. Some of the pictures he has taken are stunning, unbelievable. So once, I told him, “Bhai, you are taking pictures at my wedding also! You will be my official photographer. He laughed and said, “Sahi hai Bhajji, tu dimaag laga raha hai ki, tera dono kaam ho jaaye!”

He is seen as an authoritative figure? Could that lead to him imposing himself?
No way. He isn’t that sort of a guy. He doesn’t impose himself on anyone. He is a thorough gentleman. He will give everyone their space. He is a simple man at the end of the day. He isn’t arrogant at all. Any young player can talk to him about this and that. He is very open, smart, intelligent; he was the most intelligent cricketer I have played with. If you google intelligence, Anilbhai’s name should come! He has a great cricketing brain, great cricketing knowledge. He is a simple man who would be in the background, and think and help the boys get better in cricket.

What you think, how will he be with youngsters?
One thing I can assure you, he would be honest, upfront, which is the most important thing. He would be a kind of coach who would work out the way to get the best of the boys. He would communicate clearly. He is a sorted in the head and will command lot of respect. He would say and do the right sort of stuff to get the right result.

Will he have a problem gelling with youngsters?
Not at all. He would let people have their fun and give your space. He is not a ringmaster. He would let people be. Look, our team had me, Sehwag, Yuvraj, and others who had fun, and Kumble was never someone who would try to stop any of us. He is a man of stature, and with it comes respect, but that doesn’t mean he is not a fun person to be with. He is one of the most open seniors of our times. You could go and talk to him on cricket, life, anything.

So what do you think he can bring to the table as a coach?
He would bring more discipline in the team which is great. More discipline on the field and off the field. Laugh, joke, music – he won’t get into anybody’s personal space. He would allow you to be yourself.

Can you elaborate this discipline?
It means everything you do as a team and to the benefit of the team. It’s a team game, a team should look like a team. Starting from clothing, being on time, respecting each other’s time. Like getting to the bus on time. You cant’ let the whole team wait – it can happen once or twice but shouldn’t be a habit. I am just giving you a small example but how it all comes together and plays a part. Like even during a match, the whole team should walk out together. It shouldn’t be like after lunch, we are trickling in one by one. The other team gets the message that we are in it together and in it to win it. Not two people strolling in and someone going, ‘Woh fast bowler kidhar hai? Normally it happens. Voh toilet mey ghusa tha, arre time ho gaya, umpires chale gaye (Where’s the fast bowler, He is in toilet, oh it’s time to take field, the umpires are out). All these things. Kumble is a guy who would ensure there would be focus and discipline towards team’s goal.

You have seen Wright to Kirsten and beyond. What sort of coach you see Kumble as?
See Wright was in the background, he wouldn’t even be there in photographs. Gary Kirsten also preferred staying in the background, he would get the team together. I think Anil bhai would be similar. He would put lots of efforts and would see that credit goes to the team. Gary was like that. He was more of a friend, you could talk to him on anything. Coaching is fine, it’s a part, at the end of the day, you needed a great relationship between you and your players, that will give you the leverage to go forward as a team.

And Anil bhai is always good with helping out with tactics. Even in Tests, he would come to you and tell, try this, try that. Let’s try this, both of us can bowl tight next 8 overs or so. Let’s work together. Let’s apply some pressure. A lot to learn from him. He has a good brain to turn to as he can adapt, and think according to match situations and these are all helpful for young bowlers. He is never short of any ideas.

This is not working, so let’s try that. He would say we have to go in with at least a couple of ideas.

I remember there was a match against Pakistan in Bangalore, and Anil bhai with the same run up started to bowl seam-up. That wicket had lots of cracks and bowling seam-up was dififcult to play than spin.

He used the pace he had and did really well. He is that kind of guy who would try different things to get wickets. It’s unbelievable you know. If you don’t try, you don’t know what you can achieve. That was his philosphy. Simple, just try till the last ball. You never know what can happen.

How was he off the field in playing days?
I have asked him in the past, during playing days, Anil bhai kitne der sote ho? (How long do you sleep?) He would go to his room by 10- 10.30 pm. And I rarely sleep early. So I have asked him. He said, nahi yaar, I go back to the room, try to read if sleep doesn’t come. Just give myself some time, not rush myself. I wake up early. Get up by 7 or something, and go about the day. He was very disciplined. There would be lots of planning and preparatory stuff to be done as a coach and I can see him doing it all diligently. To be honest, he has always done all this to an extent and so he would be good at it. And cricket hasn’t changed all that much since he retired (from IPL), so he would know what to do to get the required results.

How was he as a captain? That could give us some clues about his strategic leadership.
He was a brilliant captain. I wish he could have served India for a good 5-7 years. He was honest, and not afraid of talking chances. He was the one of the guys who started to play two spinners abroad. Of course, Sourav also played on and off, but Anil bhai would pick four bowlers who would get 20 wickets. Who had the best chance to pick those wickets. If it meant two spinners were your best option, he would go for it. And always honest. I remember he would go to each and every player and tell them what their role is. And if someone is not playing, he would walk up to him and tell him, ‘these are the reasons you not playing. This is our thinking, our plan.” So I remember our team had a lot of respect for him.

He was known for that harsh stare at a misfield? Probably everyone apart from Tendulkar has got that look.

Forget when I misfielded. Even when I batted against him. Once I played a lagaan shot – that shot over the keeper – against him on couple of times. The third ball, I pushed a yorker back at him and I looked at him. I remember he glared at me! And I just turned my face and walked away!

He was like that. He played hard. He is there to do his job, it doesn’t matter who is batting in front, friend, team-mate, it didn’t matter, he would always come hard at anyone and everyone.

One episode that stood out from his captaincy days was the monkey-gate incident in Australia. You were in middle of trouble and the team rallied together.

As a leader, he was the one who got everyone together and told that we will stick by our team-mates. Whatever happens, we will fight it out together. If we had done some mistake, I will be the first one to apologise but when we haven’t made a mistake, then we should fight it out. We sat together, discussed, and he said, ‘We are together in this, Don’t worry Bhajji. We shall fight it out as a team.”

Looking back, are you happy that he was the captain that time?
Oh yes. I don’t know which other captain would have handled that tough a situation as smoothly as he did. It becomes important that the team stays together, there is no great tension hanging, and the communication is clear. He did all that. I am glad he was there as a captain to handle the way he handled it.

As part of ICC’s Cricket Commmittee, just a month ago, he has talked about how home pitches across the world shouldn’t be loaded with too much advantage. That it shouldn’t be turning from first ball of the game in Indian context that is. How do you think he will deal with it now that he is the coach?

The recent trend of Test pitches at home did face some criticism. Two-day Tests and what not. With Anil Kumble there, he would teach Indian cricket how to win Test matches on good tracks. To be a good team, you need to do a lot more than winning on rank turners. All his life, Kumble has played on good tracks. He will teach the players how to do it. Test matches ending in two days isn’t a good thing. We have to fight it out , and that’s how you win abroad. Our seamers don’t bowl in India, and our spinners don’t bowl long enough in the Test series. So the spinners aren’t ready, nor the seamers. Play on good tracks. You are a good team, you will win in four-and-half days and that’s how self confidence builds. That will take you a long way – yes we know how to win abroad, how to win games on normal wickets. That’s real Test cricket. Get back to that and I am sure that will take Indian cricket to great heights. I am sure Kumble would like the team to fight it out on 5th day, for a win. That way you are learning a lot. You can’t be happy with easy wins as it doesn’t help your own cricket. The ball is turning from first ball and the batsmen are struggling – even our batsmen — that balance needs to be back. Where is the real satisfaction in it? Where are you taking Indian cricket with that approach?

Finally, what are your plans and hopes for your career?
I am looking forward to be in the dressing room of Anil bhai again. I have been in and out of the Indian team, playing on and off. I have been bowling well. I am far more relaxed with the ball. Allowing myself to bowl the way I should bowl rather than thinking what batsmen are going to do. Just keeping things simple, enjoying the process and not worrying about selection process. To work with Anil Kumble again would be a great thing, something I am looking forward to.