Rahul Dravid’s decision to step down from the national captaincy in mid-September has led to India having separate Test and one-day captains for the first time ever.

While Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been entrusted with the responsibility of shepherding the fortunes of the limited-overs side, Anil Kumble will lead India’s challenge in the Test arena in the immediate future.

Kumble is confident that having separate captains for the two versions will bring more positives than negatives.

“I think we can complement each other,” the Test skipper said. “Dhoni has shown in his very short term as captain that he is a very capable leader. Under him, we won the Twenty20 World Cup and now also, we are doing well in the one-day format.

“He is a very mature cricketer. He has done well in the last 2-3 months that he has been captain of India. It's something that I really look forward to, working with him. I am sure both of us will complement each other.

I will have some things to learn from him, and I am sure he will have some things to learn from me. I think, going forward, the younger lot are the future of Indian cricket. So at some point in time, whenever the transition happens, it will be a smooth one and I will ensure that Dhoni will be fully prepared when the time comes.

It will be a complementing job rather than looking at two different captains, two different individuals. It only brings positive thinking into the whole group.”

Dhoni’s growth in his three years as an international cricket has been little short of extraordinary, and Kumble acknowledged that. “Yes, you could say that,” Kumble replied when asked if Dhoni’s rise was not astounding.

“He's shown that in his game, in the way he has played his game. He has shown that he is capable of handling various situations. He has had to curb his natural game depending on certain situations in a Test match, and he did that extremely well. It shows that he has the quaity and that he has the cricketing brain to ensure that he adapts to various situations.”

On Dravid’s absence from the one-day side, he observed, “It's just a temporary phase. He is too good a player not to be a part of the team. It's just a phase, everybody has been through that. It feels disappointing, but I am sure he has taken it in his stride. His inputs and his presence at the crease will matter a lot in the coming series.

We are playing seven Tests matches before we play the next one-day international after this series. I am sure he will be a part of that when the time comes.