First wicket in international cricket is always special. But perhaps India pacer Anshul Kamboj can’t really say that. He got a well-set Ben Duckett for 94 from 100 deliveries, but then the damage was already done, with England reaching 197 by then, on the second day of the IND vs ENG 4th Test, in Manchester.
A day to forget for Anshul Kamboj
That delivery to Duckett, just deviated a bit more than Duckett had anticipated, took the edge, straight into the hands of keeper Dhruv Jurel. At the end of the day, he finished with figures of 1/48 in 10 overs, with an economy of 4.80. But the day had started rather poorly for the youngster from Karnal, coming in as a replacement for Akash Deep.
Not to mention, in his very first batting innings, he was dismissed for a duck. Coming back to the bowling part, his first spell lasted only 3 overs, where he received severe punishment from Duckett. He was hit by the southpaw for three fours in those three overs.
Ben Duckett & Zak Crawley make hay
The second spell saw him bowl two overs before tea, where he gave away another 12 runs. The last spell of the day saw him get five overs, where he leaked 23 runs and picked up a wicket too. But then, that is where the entire problem was — after producing 2-3 good deliveries, he would give a boundary ball, that would release entire pressure on the batters, if any.
That said, the conditions too eased out a bit after Team India were bundled out for 358. The sun came out, and there wasn’t any real assistance from the pacers, off the wicket or in the air. But nonetheless, all is not over in this match, and India still have to get eight wickets. Anshul Kamboj, after a bad day, would certainly have some learnings.
