By Anand Philar, IANS
Chennai : It was India skipper Anil Kumble’s turn Tuesday to give a thumbs up to Indian team’s latest addition – Paddy Upton, the “mental conditioning trainer”.
“We have had a few sessions and a couple of workshops so far with Paddy Upton. He also met the players individually and, I feel, it has been a good start,” said Kumble at a press conference on the eve of the first Test against South Africa.
He pointed out that the long break from Test cricket has certainly helped those who were not part of the ODI team that won the Commonwealth Bank Triangular One-day Series in Australia.
“The break has also helped those of us who missed out on the ODIs. For a modern cricketer, it is important to balance rest and cricket, and as for me, I am up to it now,” Kumble said.
On priorities he has set for the team, Kumble said: “Our first step is to continue the good cricket we played in Australia and if we do so, then we can even win the series.”
He declined to get drawn into the numbers game of India making it to No.2 spot in the International Cricket Council rankings if they win the series, and said that good results would automatically ensure a better ranking.
Kumble asserted that the Indian team has the required intensity to perform well in the series as his players are not exactly newcomers to international cricket.
“I think most of us have played enough cricket to understand the need to be intense on the field and of course, the No.2 ranking is also a huge incentive to our team. Having said that, we would be taking one series at a time,” he said.
Asked about the conditions for the Test, Kumble pointed out that they would be the same for both the teams while conceding that the heat and humidity would be a factor to reckon with.
“We are all playing at home and are pretty used to the conditions and as such, we are quite confident of a good show,” he said.