Mohali, India : November, 09, 2007 - Spin bowler Anil Kumble will lead India in the Test series against Pakistan, India's cricket board is reported to have said as per Times of India. Mohinder Pandove, the Board of Control for Cricket in India's joint secretary, said the selectors decided to appoint Kumble as Test captain, filling the vacancy caused by Rahul Dravid's resignation two months ago.

"Being appointed captain is a great honour, I look forward to the challenge," Kumble told Headlines Today.

"I've waited for this for a long time."

The 37-year-old leg-spinner is the most successful bowler in India's Test cricket history, having claimed 566 wickets in 118 Tests.

Kumble has also snared 337 wickets in 271 limited-overs internationals, but retired from the one-dayers in the wake of India's unceremonious first-round exit from the World Cup this year.

Kumble's appointment comes after former skipper Sachin Tendulkar turned down the invitation to lead India in Test matches.

India will play three Tests against Pakistan after the conclusion of the ongoing one-day series. Kumble's captaincy debut will be in New Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium on Nov. 22.

By choosing the seasoned Kumble as India's skipper, the selectors have opted for a two-captain policy, having already appointed Mahendra Dhoni as the captain for one-dayers and twenty20 internationals.

Dhoni led India to the World Twenty20 championship in September. He subsequently captained India in the limited-overs internationals against Australia and is also captaining the team in the ongoing one-day series versus Pakistan.

The selectors were compelled to look for the best captaincy candidate among the Test players after Tendulkar sprung a surprise Tuesday by refusing to accept the job despite initially agreeing to do so.

Tendulkar had had two previous stints as India's captain before resigning from the post in 2000.

There was a confusion till last minute whether Dhoni would be the skipper for all games. Some reports confirm Dhoni as future Captain but surprise struck with Kumble's name as Captain.