Media365
India found a much-needed breakthrough on Day 2 of the fourth Test in Manchester, as debutant Anshul Kamboj picked up his maiden Test wicket, removing England opener Ben Duckett for 94. The 24-year-old pacer from Haryana, who was brought into the squad due to multiple injuries in India’s pace unit, made an immediate impact in his first outing at the highest level. Kamboj, on a difficult day for Indian bowlers, dismissed Duckett with a delivery that climbed sharply from a back-of-a-length spot outside off. Duckett, looking to cut, was surprised by the bounce and edged it to substitute wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. The dismissal came shortly after Ravindra Jadeja had removed Zak Crawley on 84, shifting momentum in India’s favour after a dominant opening stand by England. A visibly charged-up Kamboj let out a roar as he celebrated his first Test scalp. With both openers gone, India suddenly found themselves with an opportunity to apply pressure on the new England batters. Kamboj’s inclusion was the result of injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh. Before this, he had been part of the India A squad against England Lions, where he impressed with his seam bowling in a pace attack that featured Mukesh Kumar and Harshit Rana. Though he was initially overlooked for the Test squad, his consistent domestic performances eventually earned him a well-deserved call-up.
The young seamer’s debut wicket at Old Trafford is not just a personal milestone, but also a timely breakthrough for India as they look to claw their way back in to the 4th Test and ultimately, level the series.
