“What do you expect from a debutant, that he should take 10 wickets?” - Kapil Dev backs Anshul Kamboj

Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has defended the debutant pacer Anshul Kamboj, who had an unimpressive debut against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, conceding 89 runs in his 18-over spell at an economy close to five runs per over.

Though Kamboj bowled at a decent pace in the recently concluded India A vs England Lions series, his speed dramatically depleted on the third day of the ongoing Manchester Test, and as a result, he was taken to the cleaners by the English batters.

Nevertheless, Kapil asserted that Anshul can bounce back whenever he gets his second chance in the playing XI, adding that everyone would be nervous when they represent the nation for the first time. 

“What do you expect from a debutant, that he should take 10 wickets? You have to assess his potential. If he’s good enough, he will bounce back. Everyone is nervous when playing their first game. The result may not be ideal, but I believe the ability is there, and that’s more important,” Kapil Dev said at a golf event.

It’s important to note that since September 2024, Kamboj has pocketed 55 wickets in 11 first-class matches, including a 10-wicket haul against Kerala. Moreover, he had a decent game time against England Lions, scalping five wickets in three innings.

Also, his CSK colleague Ravi Ashwin was surprised to see Kamboj not bowling at his expected pace, compared to his IPL 2025 speeds. Though Ashwin hailed Kamboj after the second day, the seamer couldn’t replicate the same on Day 3.

“I praised Anshul Kamboj yesterday, but I have to say that his bowling speeds were so low, I was quite surprised. I honestly hope he is okay, because he was bowling faster than this in the IPL. He looked like he was struggling a touch. All said and done, the only solution to this (injuries and inefficiency) is to be able to create a bigger pool of bowlers,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

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