Anshul Kamboj almost quit cricket, rang up his coach hours before start of 4th Test vs England: 'Left it in God's hands'

Anshul Kamboj, 24, became the latest debutant for India in Test cricket, replacing the injured Akash Deep.

Started from Karnal, now reached Manchester. Anshul Kamboj, who represents Haryana in domestic cricket, has truly arrived on the big stage as he made his debut for India in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England in Manchester. Kamboj, who hails from Karnal's Fazilpur village, made a strong impression in the two unofficial Tests against England Lions, picking up five wickets, and to say that he out-bowled the likes of Mukesh Kumar and Harshit Rana wouldn't be an understatement by any stretch of the imagination.

Anshul Kamboj became India's 318th Test cricketer (PTI)

In the last five-odd years, Anshul has witnessed several ups and downs – the 24-year-old's father, Udham Singh, has had several episodes of epilepsy in the past decade – to finally reach a stage where he can make his family proud. Kamboj was drafted into the Indian Test squad after the Lord's Test, called in after injuries to Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh. Kamboj touched down in the UK on Sunday and hit the nets straightaway, impressing the team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir.

After the India A tour, glory didn't come immediately to Kamboj. He was expected to be drafted into the main squad, but Harshit Rana was preferred over him as injury cover. The pacer, however, did not let this setback get to his heart; he went back to Karnal to put in the hard yards. Bringing some Dukes balls back with him from the UK, Kamboj hit the ground running instantaneously.

"After coming back, Anshul bowled and batted a lot. He was preparing a lot. We thought, as his overall performance was going really well, he would get a chance. Anshul has ample experience bowling with the Dukes ball. The Haryana Cricket Association has played a huge role. He bowled with the Dukes ball after coming here. He worked hard on his batting as well," Kamboj's coach Satish Rana told Hindustan Times.

"He opened the nets as well. I spoke to him recently after he came back from the India A tour. We were just focused on putting in the hard yards and doing the hard work. Getting picked in the team, we left the decision in God's hands and the selectors. It was up to them, but we were always confident that Anshul will get a chance because of his strong performances in the domestic circuit."

Not many are aware, but there was a time when Anshul was "demoralised" and contemplated whether to continue with the sport. He got a bad injury right before the 2020 U-19 World Cup, and as a result, he missed out on the tournament.

"He was demoralised. Because of his injury, he was not able to play in the U19 World Cup. He was really upset. The U19 World Cup is a big tournament, and it is a stepping stone towards international cricket. But he carried on, and now look, he is making his debut," said Rana.

Anshul Kamboj's rise to stardom

Kamboj became a household name last year after he became only the third bowler in the history of the Ranji Trophy, after Bengal's Premangsu Chatterjee and Rajasthan's Pradeep Sundaram, to take all 10 wickets in an innings. While playing against Kerala for Haryana, the tall pacer recorded the figures of 10/49 in 30.1 overs, including nine maidens.

Earlier this year, he also represented five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His bowling ability inside the powerplay impressed both MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming. Recently, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also heaped praise on Kamboj, saying the youngster knows how to stick to a plan as he compared him to Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah.

"Taking 10 wickets is a brilliant thing in itself. Only those who are fortunate get a chance to take ten wickets. It takes a lot of hard work. We are just hoping that Anshul has a debut to remember and helps India win the match against England in Manchester," said Rana.

Hours before making his debut for India, Kamboj did what an obedient student will always do. He rang up his coach to take some vital tips ahead of the crucial Manchester Test, where India face a must-win situation if they want to win the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

"I spoke to him yesterday. I told him that 'if you get a chance, just give your 100 per cent effort and perform to the best of your ability'. He was sure as he told me that he would give his best," he said.