Anshul Kamboj made his Test debut in the fourth Test against England at Manchester. Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly came to Anshul Kamboj’s defense after the fast bowler was dropped from India’s playing XI for the fifth Test against England at The Oval, London. India made four changes to their lineup.
Rishabh Pant was ruled out due to injury, while Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, and Anshul Kamboj were replaced by Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, and Akash Deep. Kamboj had made his Test debut in the previous match at Old Trafford, Manchester, stepping in after Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh were sidelined with injuries.
However, Kamboj struggled to make an impact in that match. His bowling lacked consistency in line and length, conceding 89 runs in 18 overs at an economy rate of 4.90, and he managed to take just one wicket.
Don’t judge Anshul Kamboj based on just one Test match: Sourav Ganguly
At a recent event, former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly urged people not to judge Anshul Kamboj solely on his performance in one Test match. He highlighted Kamboj’s strong domestic record and stressed the importance of evaluating players over multiple games. Ganguly also expressed surprise over Mukesh Kumar’s absence from the current Test series.
“Anshul Kamboj is a young talent who has taken plenty of wickets in domestic cricket. It’s important to judge players over five, six, or even eight Tests before drawing conclusions,” Ganguly told India Today.
He added, “Honestly, I’m surprised Mukesh Kumar isn’t part of the national squad, especially for red-ball cricket. His domestic stats are outstanding, and the conditions would have suited his bowling style well. Hopefully, he will get a chance soon.”
Ganguly also felt India missed an opportunity by not including Kuldeep Yadav in the series. The left-arm spinner remained on the bench throughout all five matches.
“I think England went with four fast bowlers and deliberately left some grass on the wickets. India has had quality spinners like Jadeja and Ashwin in the past. I wish Kuldeep had been given a chance in Manchester, Lord’s, and Birmingham. Without quality spin, it’s tough to dismiss a team on Day 5,” he said.
Meanwhile, the fifth Test was disrupted by rain on the first day. England captain Ollie Pope won the toss and chose to bowl first.
