Team India selectors make course correction as Anshul Kamboj reportedly picked ahead of Harshit Rana as pace back-up

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11 hours ago

The Team India selectors had picked Harshit Rana the first time they need a pace back-up but now they have opted for Anshul Kamboj, a hit the deck seam bowler, who is seen as a future prospect. read more
Anshul Kamboj will be part of India squad for last two Tests vs England. Image: Jay Shah on X
After initially ignoring Anshul Kamboj in favour of Harshit Rana, the Team India management has made a u-turn, including the Haryana fast bowler in the squad for the last two Tests against England. Kamboj's entry, however, has been made possible by recent injuries to fast bowlers Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, who are racing against time to be ready for the fourth Test beginning in Manchester at Old Trafford on July 23.
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Akash Deep, who is dealing with a groin niggle, played in the second and third Test against England at Birmingham and Lord's respectively, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep is yet to feature in a match in the on-going series.
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There is no clarity as yet on Akash Deep's availability, while Arshdeep is unlikely to be available for selection for the Manchester Test, and therefore, the selectors decided to call Kamboj, PTI has learned.
Kamboj added to Team India squad ahead of Rana
Arshdeep copped a blow on his left hand while trying to stop a shot from Sai Sudharsan on his follow through during the net session at Beckenham on Thursday, which necessitated the bandaging of his bowling arm.
'We'll take a call on the combination we play, particularly given the Arshdeep situation as well, we'll make that call closer to Manchester,' assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had said.
'He took a ball while he was bowling…it's just a cut, so we have to see how bad the cut is. Obviously the medical team has taken him off to see a doctor and obviously if he needs stitches or doesn't need stitches that's going to be important to our planning for the next few days,' he added.
The 24-year-old Kamboj is a worthy addition to the squad after his impressive effort for India A against the England Lions in two side games prior to the Test series.
He took five wickets across four innings at Northampton and Canterbury while moving the ball appreciably and finding disconcerting bounce on occasions.
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The Haryana pacer is a hit the deck seam bowler and is being looked as a future prospect as Mukesh Kumar is already on the wrong side of 30s while Harshit Rana is yet to find his strides in red ball cricket.
Nonetheless, Rana was picked over Kamboj as a back-up for the first Test against England at Headingley after there was an injury concern with one of the pacers. Rana, whose selection was seen as a result of his closeness to head coach Gautam Gambhir, was later released after India lost the first Test.
The selectors, it seems, have made a course correction and picked Kamboj once the second opportunity emerged.
Kamboj gets rewarded for domestic toil
Kamboj shot into fame after taking all 10 wickets in an innings against Kerala last year in a Ranji Trophy match at Lahli.
He is only the third bowler to achieve that feat in the Ranji Trophy after Bengal's Premangsu Chatterjee (1956-57) and Rajasthan's Pradeep Somasundaram (1985-86).
Overall, he took 34 wickets from six matches in the last edition of the premier domestic red-ball tournament.
With agency inputs
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