India skipper Kumble to announce retirement

India skipper Anil Kumble has announced he will retire after the third test against Australia, an Indian cricket board official said on Sunday.

The 38-year-old is test cricket's third-highest test wickettaker with 619 wickets, trailing only Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's retired Shane Warne.

"(Kumble) has conveyed his decision to the Delhi association president that he will retire after the game and will make his formal announcement after the match," an Indian official said.

The spin bowler has been the team's bowling lynchpin for almost two decades, and the architect of India's dominance on slow home pitches, relying more on subtle variations than sharp turn.

He has also taken 337 wickets from 271 one-day internationals and has already quit the shorter form of the game.

Wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the limited-overs captain and Kumble's deputy, is favoured to take over the job.

Kumble, who has played 132 tests, had been facing mounting questions over his future and missed the second test against the Aussies in Mohali due to a shoulder injury.

He also suffered a finger injury in the current test, which ends in Delhi on Sunday, and only returned to bowl after having 11 stitches.