India's New Faces Shine in Fourth Test Against England: Kamboj Makes Debut
Exciting Changes in India's Lineup
Manchester: In a thrilling turn of events, Anshul Kamboj is set to make his Test debut as part of India's squad, alongside B Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur, after England opted to bowl first in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Currently, England leads the five-match series 2-1, following a nail-biting 22-run victory in the previous Test at Lord's. Kamboj, now the 318th player to represent India in Test cricket, steps in for Akash Deep, who is sidelined due to a groin injury sustained during the last match.
Interestingly, Anil Kumble was the last Indian cricketer to debut in Manchester, and both he and Kamboj share the distinction of achieving a 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Sudharsan replaces Karun Nair, while Shardul Thakur takes the place of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is out for the series due to a knee injury.
These adjustments mean India will field four seamers along with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
India's captain, Shubman Gill, expressed some uncertainty about the toss decision, noting the pitch looks promising. He remarked on the intensity of the previous matches, highlighting the need for a brief respite after such closely contested games.
On the other side, England has made one change, bringing in Liam Dawson for the injured Shoaib Bashir, marking Dawson's return to the Test arena after an eight-year hiatus.
Ben Stokes, England's captain, emphasized the favorable bowling conditions and the team's readiness to capitalize on the break they had since the last Test, aiming for a strong performance this week.
Playing XIs
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.