KL Rahul pleased with Anil Kumble's first impressions as India's new head coach

Kumble interacts with Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli during the preparatory camp currently underway at the NCA 

It may still be early days for Anil Kumble as India’s new head coach but it looks like he has already left quite a good impression with the members of the Indian Test side. Promising batsman KL Rahul, who also hails from Kumble’s home state of Karnataka, is excited at the opportunity of working closely under the guidance of the Indian legend and is confident that Kumble’s reign will begin on a successful note beginning with the upcoming four-match Test series against West Indies. 

The Indian squad, including Rahul, is currently preparing for the tour to the Carribean with the preparatory camp underway at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore under Kumble's guidance. The 24-year-old right-batsmen revealed that Kumble has already won his confidence by the latter’s promise that players will be given the freedom to express themselves under his reign. 

"We had a few interactions with him (Kumble) and he has stressed on a few things -- he has made it clear that he will let the boys take decisions by themselves. When we have trouble or any queries and we need to ask, we can go up to him, and it is a wonderful set-up," Rahul was quoted as saying by BCCI.tv on Friday.

"It's a great boost for a young team like ours to have a legend like Kumble in the set-up who will mentor and coach us. He is sharing with us the experiences that he has had in his cricketing career," Rahul added.

Kumble’s legendary stature in Indian cricket is best exemplified by his record of being the highest wicket taker in Test cricket, scalping 619 wickets from 132 matches, and coupled with the humbleness and dedication that the leg-spinner showcased during his playing days, Rahul is fully confident that the Indian side will get to learn a lot from Kumble. 

"He is somebody who has so much cricketing knowledge and has spent so much time in international cricket. He is an ideal guy for us to look up to. We are looking forward to working with Kumble and getting better personally and also as a team," he said. 

Rahul enjoyed a dream start to his ODI-career bagging the Man of the Series award in the 3-match series against Zimbabwe but according to the Karnataka batsman, it is the longest format of the game that he wants to excel in the most.  

“Test cricket is always a lot more challenging than the rest of the formats and we enjoy playing Tests. It's been a while since I played a Test (he last played a Test against Sri Lanka in August 2015) and to see the white clothes again, puts a smile on my face,” Rahul said. 

Talking about India’s preparation, Rahul is confident that with ample time on the hands before the team jets off to the Carribean, Kumble’s reign will get off to a winning note.  

"We will like to use the next two-three weeks before the first Test well. We have a couple of practice games and therefore we have a lot of time on our hands. We can make the best use of the time and prepare well. We should be prepared well before going to West Indies and have a series victory under our belt," Rahul concluded.