Shubman Gill has all but confirmed India’s bowling lineup for the Manchester Test. Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been ruled out of the India vs England Test series, and Arshdeep Singh isn’t fit for selection either. There was uncertainty regarding Akash Deep’s fitness as well, after he left the field during the Lord’s Test.
Akash Deep out of the Manchester Test
Yesterday, Mohammed Siraj had stated that Akash has a groin injury and the medical team has been looking after him. On the eve of the Manchester Test, India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill, has confirmed that Akash won’t be available for selection.
“Akash Deep is unavailable, and so is Arshdeep, but we have good players in the team to pick up 20 wickets. It is not ideal to have different bowlers, but we are prepared,” Gill told reporters at Old Trafford.
The Indian captain confirmed that three pacers will feature at Old Trafford. Jasprit Bumrah will play, something that Siraj had confirmed as well. The third pacer will be one of Prasidh Krishna or Anshul Kamboj. The former played the first two matches, while the latter has yet to make his Test debut.
Anshul Kamboj close to making Test debut
Gill seemed to hint that Kamboj might be given preference over Prasidh. Although ahead in the pecking order, Prasidh hasn’t been up to the mark. He has had issues with his lines and lengths. In two matches, he has taken 6 wickets at 55.16. And this isn’t even the worst part. Prasidh’s economy has been 5.33.
As for Kamboj, he was impressive against the England Lions. He didn’t take heaps of wickets for India A but was easily the best pacer. He was added to the squad after Arshdeep’s injury and seems like he could be India’s third pacer at Manchester. He took 34 wickets in 6 matches for Haryana in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, including taking all 10 wickets in an innings.
“He (Kamboj) is very close to making his debut. We will see between Prasidh and Anshul tomorrow,” Gill added.
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