Kumble will teach India lads to tackle crunch moments: Sachin

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who was part of the BCCI's Cricket Advisory panel that selected Anil Kumble as head coach, has reckoned that the legendary leg-spinner will help the young Indian side to fight out during crunch situations.

Recalling his association with the Bengaluru leggie, Tendulkar termed him a "hard competitor" with tons of experience, which he feels the team can benefit from.

"It's about being a tough character and being able to stand on your feet in tough moments. That's what I feel Anil will teach them. There are crunch moments in any match, so approaching those moments is important. He will be out there to win each and every moment," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by espncricinfo.

"My experience with Anil has been fantastic. He has been a match-winner, and the guys have got a lot to learn from him. Anil is ready to share everything he has learnt from this wonderful sport."

"He played for close to 20 years, so there is plenty to share. I'll just tell the players to grasp as much information from Anil as possible, and enjoy the game above everything else," the little master added.

The former Mumbai batsman also came to the defence of Australian opener David Warner who has recently been in news for his bat size. Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting had recently critised Warner.

Commenting on the rising imbalance between bat and ball, the legendary batsman called for more bowler-friendly pitches to address the problem.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) world cricket committee had on Tuesday recommended limitations on the thickness and depth of bats amid concerns that the sport has tilted heavily in favour of the batsmen in recent years.

A report commissioned by the MCC, the guardian of the game's laws, in 2014 found the thickness of blades had marginally increased in the last century and that edges had broadened by 300 per cent, meaning even mistimed shots could still find the boundary.

Tendulkar's views reflected Australian opener David Warner's sentiments, who last week said that flat pitches rather than bats with thicker edges are the reason batsmen have the upper hand in Test cricket.

"The wickets need to change; they need to be more helpful for bowlers. In T20s, the greatest of bowlers are being reverse-swept. Three-hundred is no longer competitive in ODIs," Tendulkar said.

"So there should be at least one format where bowlers have a better chance of executing their skills and making it more interesting for spectators."

The former India skipper added,"It's difficult for someone to sit for five days, so you have to look at changing surfaces. I don't think it's got much to do with bats, but I'm sure people on the (relevant) panel will be able to look into it. That's what David Warner has spoken about too."

--IANS

tri/vt