Leg-spinner Anil Kumble, in the midst of a successful Australian tour, got a pat on the back from an unexpected quarter, the Supreme Court, as it gave his wife Chetna custody of her daughter from her previous marriage after a two-year long litigation.

Disposing off an appeal filed by Chetna's former husband, a bench comprising Justice Shivaraj V Patil and Justice D M Dharmadhikari maintained the Karnataka high court order granting custody of the nine-year-old daughter to Chetna with visitation rights to the former husband.

Justice Dharmadhikari, writing for the bench, said the apprehensions expressed by the former husband against Kumble that he might poison the mind of the child and create ill-will towards the natural father was "without foundation".

"On the contrary, Kumble in his deposition has made statements evincing a very cooperative and humane attitude on his part towards the problem of the estranged couple and the child."

The news of Chetna's pregnancy was also a deciding factor. "It is reported that the wife is presently on the family way. The prospect of arrival of the second child in the family of the wife is another circumstance which would be in favour of the present child," the bench said.