New addition Kamboj likely to be drafted into playing XI

As Anshul Kamboj marked his run-up, he was greeted with a banter by Mohammed Siraj. “Welcome to Manchester, man!” Siraj told the young fast bowler, who has been added to the Indian team, following Arshdeep Singh’s thumb injury.

The youngster smiled and over the next hour, he toiled hard in the nets, bowling long spells, alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

With the series on the line, Bumrah will be available for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, beginning on Wednesday. While Siraj is an automatic choice, Arshdeep and Akash Deep, yet to recover fully from a groin niggle, have been ruled out. India’s third seaming option is now limited, and there are indications that the 24-year-old Kamboj could be drafted into the playing XI.

Known for his skiddy pace and the ability to extract sharp bounce, Kamboj was recently part of the India-A squad for the two ‘Tests’. He claimed a four-wicket haul in the second match at Northampton, including two in a single over in the second innings.

That experience could come in handy for the Haryana seamer. As he bowled to K.L. Rahul, followed by Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the nets, head coach Gautam Gambhir and Morkel had frequent conversations with him, in an effort to make him feel comfortable.

Kamboj looked at ease, and often challenged the batters with his pace. In fact, in the middle of the session, the youngster could be seen picking the brains of Bumrah and Siraj as he was being monitored by the national selectors — Ajit Agarkar and Shiv Sunder Das.

Coming on the back of a successful domestic season, where he claimed 79 wickets in 24 games, Kamboj has also proved his mettle with the bat as he forged an unbeaten 149-run stand with Tanush Kotian to help India-A force a draw during the match at Nottingham.

While Bumrah’s presence will be a huge boost, it will be interesting to see how the bowling unit handles the pressure. “The combination is changing day by day. Our plan is to bowl in good areas, considering how the England batters played with a lot of patience in the last match,” Siraj said.

The team management may also consider tweaking the bowling combination, potentially favouring Kuldeep Yadav over Washington Sundar, given that the Old Trafford surface is expected to assist wrist spinners.

Pant ready

After skipping wicketkeeping duties, following a left index finger injury during the Lord’s Test, Pant had a long session behind the stumps on Monday.

Initially monitored by fielding coach T. Dilip, Pant later joined a slip catching drill, along with Rahul, Gill, Karun Nair and B. Sai Sudharsan. He looked comfortable throughout and is expected to keep wickets.

Meanwhile, there are signs the team management may hand Sai Sudharsan the No. 3 spot, following a string of disappointing performances from Karun.