Home
As Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep were ruled out of fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, Anshul Kamboj was called up as reinforcement ahead of must-win clash. Kamboj, who was impressive against England Lions for India A, may make his Test debut at The Old Trafford, Manchester, as Akash Deep is nursing an injury as well. While Shubman Gill is still keeping the playing XI under wraps, India's legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed the 24-year-old.
"With Bumrah and Siraj there, if you are bringing in Anshul Kamboj into the playing XI, I’m telling you, it’s a serious bowling attack," Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat.
"People can say that Anshul Kamboj will be playing his first Test. But he was there with India A. He has been in cracking form in first-class cricket. He averaged around 13 last season and even bagged 10 wickets in an innings. He had a kick-ass Duleep Trophy."
Ashwin lauds Kamboj's control
Ashwin feels that Kamboj will compliment Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj with his ability to bowl long spells. He also pointed out that Kamboj is a handy batter down the order. The The 38-year-old talked about the wrist position and accuracy of his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teammate.
"Anshul Kamboj knows how to bowl a long spell. You need that in England. Anshul will be a really good foil for Siraj and Bumrah," the Tamil Nadu-born spinner said.
"One thing the management will have to look after is Anshul's nerve.
"Prasidh is also an option, but I will go with Anshul. He will give you that control and can also chip in with the bat.
"He has a very good tappa. I have seen that in the IPL. His wrist position is very good, and he delivers a very upright seam. He never leaves his tappa (length)."
Ashwin reckons Kamboj 'understands the plan'
In addition, Kamboj poined out how Kamboj is mature despite his lack of experience, comparing him with the likes of Zaheer Khan and Bumrah.
"The most appreciable thing about Anshul Kamboj is that he understands the plan. I have seen so many bowlers who, even after playing 30–40 Test matches, still don’t understand the plan. If you ask them about the plan, they just say they want to express themselves and enjoy the game," he said.
"Because they don’t understand the plan. That is one type of bowling. The other is bowling according to the plan. Anshul Kamboj understands the plan and also knows how to execute it in the middle.
"I have seen that. It’s not a trait a lot of fast bowlers have. Zaheer Khan was one of them—he was amazing. Jassi is another one. He understands the plan, makes plans, and executes them to perfection. Anshul Kamboj belongs to that variety."
Kamboj's recent form and first-class numbers
Kamboj recently played two games for India A against England Lions. He took five wickets in the series. Also, he scored his maiden first-class half-century. So far, the Haryana-born pacer has 79 wickets from 24 first-class games, averaging 22.88, including a 10-wicket haul in an innings.
ADVERTISEMENT
