Melbourne: Hailing Anil Kumble as a bowler with "outstanding intuition," former Australian captain Steve Waugh said one should never underestimate the veteran leg-spinner.Impressed with Kumble's performance on the opening day of the first cricket Test here, Waugh said 
Kumble was a clever bowler capable of reading the minds of batsmen well."Having played against him many times, I knew never to underestimate Anil Kumble - even though you wogSep stressing over how to combat his bowling out in the middle," Waugh wrote in his column for daily Herald Sun."His methods are subtle and often most effective when you think you have him under control. He possesses outstanding intuition, which enables him to sense complacency or uneasiness from a batsman, and in turn he cleverly mixes up his deliveries and angles at the crease," Waugh said.Analysing his old adversary's performance, the Aussie great said the spinner exhibited great artistry while scalping Phil Jaques and Mike Hussey today."He tempted Jaques with a flighted delivery that was a well-concealed wrong 'un, while Mike Hussey departed to a quicker, flatter wrong 'un that beat him for pace."Both were clever pieces of artistry from a street-fighter, who for many years has been the benchmark in mental toughness in Indian cricket."Waugh felt that this series would be demanding on Kumble as he would play a double role of captain and strike bowler against tough opponents like Australia."Being the captain this tour will provide him greatest challenge, as his focus will have to be shared and not channelled," he said."It was in the first session that he appeared unsettled when he continually rotated his fieldsmen where the ball has just gone, but as the day evolved he became progressively pro-active and comfortable with the leadership," Waugh said.Waugh said playing the Test series against Pakistan would help India during the tour of Australia, who had a cakewalk in the home series versus Sri Lanka."One advantage India has over Australia is it has just come off a demanding three-Test series against its arch-rival Pakistan, while Australia steamrolled a lacklustre Sri Lanka."This was evident when Australia was perfectly placed at 0-135 and on remote control again to dominate, but the Indians hung tough, stuck to the basics and turned things around."This appears to be an Indian team that is ready for the challenge and willing to ask questions of Australia's batsmen through swing bowling and spinners with attitude," he said.Expressing astonishment over the slow track of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Waugh said the Aussies might be losing the home advantage because of the wicket."Deliveries not carrying through to the wicketkeeper, batsmen checking their shots and edges falling short of the slip cordon on the first day."Even with a limited preparation because of rain and the fact it will bake, harden and quicken with the sunshine during the next two days, it is becoming a common theme that our pitches are losing their character. Consequently, home-ground advantage is a thing of the past as the playing surfaces become all too familiar."On this particular pitch, Australia will be hard-pressed to bowl India out twice with the limited sideways movement and lack of exaggerated bounce," he said.
