Spin legend R Ashwin was not too pleased with the fitness and bowling speeds of his Chennai Super Kings teammate Anshul Kamboj on his Test debut in Manchester, as he struggled in his role as the third seamer behind Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
After Kamboj was drafted into the Test team in the eleventh hour before the Old Trafford Test, Ashwin had praised his skill-set, highlighting that the Haryana pacer’s inclusion could make a “serious” pace attack for India.
“Looking at how Siraj and Bumrah bowled, if you bring Anshul Kamboj in, I’m telling you that is a serious bowling attack. People will tell he hasn’t played but he was there on the A tour. He’s been in cracking form in first-class cricket. He is used to bowling long spells and you need that in England. He will be a really good foil for Siraj and Bumrah,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
‘Praised him yesterday’
The 25-year-old seemed to be under a lot of duress against England as he struggled to touch 130 kph on the speed gun. Kamboj’s inconsistent lengths only compounded the woes for Shubman Gill and Co., as he ended up conceding 89 runs in 18 overs, bowling a solitary maiden over while picking up a wicket on Day 2.
Kamboj was elevated to earn his maiden Test cap this week after his impressive red-ball profile from the last domestic season. Since September 2024, Kamboj had reeled in 55 wickets in 11 matches, including a 10-wicket haul against Kerala in Lahli.
Ashwin, however, could not decode the reason behind the depleted speeds on debut. It was reported that Kamboj had returned home with a shin injury after the India A tour of England last month.
“I praised Anshul Kamboj yesterday, but I have to say that his bowling speeds were so low, I was quite surprised. I honestly hope he is okay, because he was bowling faster than this in the IPL. He looked like he was struggling a touch. All said and done, the only solution to this (injuries and inefficiency) is to be able to create a bigger pool of bowlers,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
