Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj has been drafted into India’s Test team as a cover for the injured Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep.The 24-year-old is all set to make his Test debut at Old Trafford in Manchester in the fourth Test starting July 23.Former India spinner R Ashwin, who has seen Kamboj up close at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), feels the youngster can be a really good addition if he makes it into the India XI.“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.
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“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,” he said.
Talking about what makes Kamboj special, the former India off-spinner said: “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.”“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.”Ashwin also compared Kamboj with 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.”
