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Gautam Gambhir, Shubman Gill could ignore Prasidh, Shardul despite injury crisis for surprise debut in 4th Test: Report
Team India might hand out a surprise debut cap in the fourth Test of the series against England.
India’s pace department may see a new face take centre stage in Manchester. With injury clouds looming over Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep ahead of the fourth Test against England, 24-year-old right-arm medium pacer Anshul Kamboj has been drafted into the squad and could make a surprise Test debut on July 23 at Old Trafford.
According to The Times of India, there are high chances that Anshul could also be in line for his debut with pacer Akash Deep, who also limped off during the Lord’s Test.
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Kamboj, who has 79 wickets and 486 runs from 24 first-class matches, recently turned heads during India A’s four-day games against England Lions. The Haryana cricketer dismissed one batter in the first match and picked up two wickets in each innings of the second.
What caught attention beyond his bowling was his gritty knock of 51* off 86 balls while batting at No. 9, a performance that showcased his all-round potential.
The injury situation in the Indian camp has become increasingly complicated. Arshdeep Singh, who replaced Mohammed Shami in the squad, is now reportedly unavailable due to a niggle. Akash Deep, who impressed at Lord’s before hobbling off with a back issue, is also unlikely to feature in Manchester. As a result, the team management is left with limited options in the seam department.
Kamboj ahead of Shardul, Prasidh?
Kamboj’s potential inclusion ahead of more experienced campaigners like Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna showcases the growing trust in the youngster. After being part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in IPL 2025 and previously debuting for Mumbai Indians in 2024, Kamboj has slowly but surely pushed his case forward for a red-ball role.
“Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep won’t be playing together in the remaining two Tests,” a source told TOI.
“It was decided before the tour that Bumrah will only play three Tests in this series, and now with Akash’s back niggle flaring up, we can’t see both of them playing in the XI together.
“If Bumrah plays in Manchester, then Akash will sit out. At The Oval, Akash will replace Bumrah.”
India has never won a Test at Old Trafford in nine attempts since 1936. For Kamboj, if selected, it could be a trial by fire, but also an opportunity to script a historic first.
