The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is entering its business end. With the series poised at 2-1 in England’s favor, all eyes turn to Old Trafford, Manchester, where cricketing action resumes after an eight-day break. India and England are set to lock horns in the fourth Test starting July 23.
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As Team India prepares for the all-important fourth Test, there has been much talk about their Playing 11. Leading up to this Test, India suffered major injury blows for Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Reddy and Akash Deep. Anshul Kamboj, the pace-bowling all-rounder, was drafted into the squad as a replacement.
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R Ashwin, former India legend and Kamboj's teammate at the IPL, has now heaped praise on the young star and feels that he should get a game in Manchester.
What did R Ashwin say about Anshul Kamboj?
Kamboj, the pacer from Haryana, has had an incredible domestic season. He has taken 79 wickets in 24 games, including 10 wickets in an innings against Kerala in a Ranji Trophy game.
Since then, he has represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the IPL 2025 season and was Ashwin's teammate with the Yellow Army.
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Talking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, R Ashwin praised the young star and mentioned how he could support the likes of Bumrah and Siraj.
Ashwin believes including Anshul Kamboj in the XI would significantly strengthen India’s bowling attack.
He pointed to Kamboj’s excellent form during the India A tour, his remarkable first-class average of around 13, and a standout Duleep Trophy performance in which he claimed 10 wickets in an innings.
Ashwin praised the young star's control with the ball and his ability to bowl long spells. He added that Kamboj's ability to understand and execute plans on the field is one of his standout traits.
"One of Anshul's most enjoyable and appreciable things is that he understands plans. A lot of bowlers, even with 30-40 Tests, also don't understand plans," Ashwin said. "To understand a plan is one thing, to make a plan is second, and to execute a plan is third. And not all bowlers have this ability."
Why did Ashwin compare Anshul Kamboj to Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah?
The former Indian spinner compared the young star with Zaheer Khan and Bumrah for the same reason -- following the plans set by the team while also strategising on his own when needed.
"Anshul is one such guy who understands plans, can make plans, and execute them. I have seen it through my own eyes, which is not a trait that many Indian fast bowlers have," Ashwin noted.
"Zaheer Khan was one of them. He was amazing...One champion bowler who has done it in the recent past has been Jassi. Jassi can understand plans, make plans, and execute them really well. Anshul Kamboj belongs to that variety," he added.
India is set to face a tough challenge in Manchester against a confident England side. With the series on the line, India are in a do-or-die situation, requiring two wins to script history and win a series on English soil post 18 years.