India vs NZ 2016: Anil Kumble disagrees with Virat Kohli's perspective, says strike rate is for bowlers in Tests

New Delhi: Under new coach Anil Kumble, Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli have started off with a bang. (India vs New Zealand: News | Slideshow)

After beating West Indies 2-0 on their home soil, India are currently leading 1-0 in the three-match series against New Zealand at home.

With Kohli's aggression and Kumble's massive experience, Indian team is becoming a better unit with each passing match. The Kumble-Kohli duo is proving to be a tough nut to crack for the opponents. With a positive mindset, they also echo each other's thoughts on most occasions.

However on Wednesday, Kumble contradicted one of Kohli's statements, by saying strike-rate should not be the focus for the batsmen in traditional format. (Cheteshwar Pujara is a vital cog in India's wheel, says coach Anil Kumble)

"I know there is a lot of talk about strike rate in the last eight years after the advent of T20. As far as I was concerned, when I was playing in Test cricket strike rate was spoken about for bowlers, not batsmen. That`s how I looked at it," he said.

"In the team you need different characters, you need different quality players, you need different players with skill sets which are suited to challenges in a Test match. Because every session can be different in a Test match, we have seen that. And that`s the beauty about Test cricket. From my point of view, strike rates are only relevant to bowlers in Test cricket, not the batsmen."

Former chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil had earlier spilled the beans saying Kumble and Kohli were unhappy with Pujara`s performances in the Caribbean and advised him to work on his strike rate before the Kanpur Test.

Earlier, Indian Test skipper Kohli had said that he had a word with Pujara about quickening the pace of his innings. (Captain Virat Kohli reveals reason behind Cheteshwar Pujara's batting transformation)

"Pujara is someone who absorbs the pressure really well but after a certain stage in the innings there comes a time when the team needs runs. That's where we felt that he has the ability to capitalise. It was just about conveying that to him. He has worked hard on his game. He scored at a good strike rate in the Duleep Trophy. Even on this wicket he was scoring at 65, almost 70 strike rate.

"Which for me was a revelation, to see Pujara bat that way. Because he used to bat that way initially. Especially at home. If you see his double-hundreds against England and Australia, he will dominate spinners. That's exactly what we wanted him to do. We didn't want him to go into a shell. We want Pujara to bat to his potential. Once he starts scoring runs to go with the composure he already has, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to have control of the game. That's all we wanted to convey to him," Kohli told ESPNcricinfo.

The Saurashtra batsman, who is one of the most technically sound batsmen in the traditional format, is often criticised for slowing down things a bit after he gets set. (166 in Duleep Trophy was the turning point, believes Cheteshwar Pujara)

Pujara certainly looked charged up at Kanpur, where he scored 62 and 78 runs respectively in both innings.