Anshul Kamboj belongs to the rare breed of Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah: Ravi Ashwin

Former Indian spinner and analyst Ravi Ashwin has heaped praise on the Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj, who is in line to make his Test debut in the Manchester Test against England, scheduled to start on Wednesday, July 23.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin stated that the uncapped seamer belongs to the rare breed of pacers like Zaheer Khan and Jasprit Bumrah. Notably, Kamboj was part of the Chennai Super Kings set-up in the IPL 2025 season.

It’s important to note that Kamboj has been roped into the Indian Test squad for the fourth Test, replacing the injured Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Ashwin stated that Kamboj has the capability of understanding the plan and executing in the middle.

"The appreciable thing about Anshul is that he understands the plan. I have seen so many fast bowlers if you ask them about the plan, they just say they want to express themselves and enjoy the game," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat'.

"But Anshul understands plans and also knows how to execute in the middle. It's not a trait many fast bowlers possess. Zaheer Khan was one of them. He was amazing. In recent times, Jassi (Bumrah) is one player who understands the plans and executes them to perfection. Anshul belongs to that variety. I'm not comparing skills because skills are a very different thing," Ashwin added.

It’s important to note that Kamboj had a decent India A vs England Lions series in the lead-up to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, scalping five wickets in two games, displaying his late movement with pace and bounce.

"He has a very good tappa (right length). I have seen that in the IPL. His wrist position is very good, and he delivers a very upright seam. He never leaves his tappa. With Bumrah and Siraj there, if you are bringing in Anshul Kamboj into the playing XI, I'm telling you, it's a serious bowling,” Ashwin observed.

India will clash against England in the fourth Test of the five-match series at Old Trafford in Manchester, scheduled to start on Wednesday, July 23.

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