Credit: X
It was believed to be a high-pressure event, when right-arm medium pacer Anshul Kamboj made his debut for India. The fourth test of England versus India was played at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, where Kamboj got to make his Test debut. Despite the prized scalp of English opener Ben Duckett for 94, Anshul’s overall performance drew criticism by many former players including Australian ex-captain Ricky Ponting and former Indian pacer RP Singh. Anshul Kamboj took one wicket in his spell 18 overs conceding 89 runs at an economy rate of almost five runs per over with his pace averaging 128 Km/h which later dropped to 125 Km/h .
Amid all criticism, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has come for defense of the debutant pacer, urging fans and critics not to judge the young bowler based solely on his performance in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. “Don’t judge Anshul Kamboj based on just one Test match. He’s a young kid who has taken plenty of wickets in domestic cricket. We need to assess players over five, six, even eight Tests before forming opinions,” Ganguly was quoted as saying at a press conference at the Biskfarm event. His remarks highlight the need for patience with the 24-year-old Haryana seamer.
Anshul Kamboj took a historic ten-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy 2024
Anshul Kamboj was known for his record spell in Ranji Trophy 2024 match against Kerala. In a spell of 30 overs, the right-arm pacer took ten wickets in an innings. His spells in the 2025 edition of Indian Premier League probably acted as thrusts for bringing him into the spotlight. In the 2025 IPL, Kamboj played eight matches for Chennai Super Kings, picking up eight wickets under MS Dhoni’s leadership. Apart from backing Anshul Kamboj, Sourav Ganguly also expressed surprise at Indian team management’s decision to not include left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in any game.
“Without quality spin, it's hard to bowl a team out on Day 5, in the past teams had great spinners whether it was Warne, Muralitharan, England's Swann and Panesar, or even our own Harbhajan and Kumble. Kuldeep is someone India must persist with. He’s crucial for our future,” Ganguly said. The Anderson-Tendulkar trophy has reached its final contest between England and India at The Oval in London. England is leading the five-match series with a tally of 2-1 and India is looking forward to winning the game so that the series could be drawn.
