Subhayan Chakraborty in Manchester
As India conducted their practice session at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Monday ahead of the fourth Test against England, Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj, who has joined the squad for the remainder of the series, made an instant impact with his tight lines and lengths at the net session. Akash Deep has a groin niggle, Arshdeep Singh’s thumb injury has ruled out of the fourth Test, and a knee injury has ended Nitish Kumar Reddy’s tour.
With the opportunity of a first Test cap very real, Kamboj was on the money from the very first ball, which made KL Rahul say, “Good start.” In his 40-minute stint with the ball, Kamboj was mighty impressive against the likes of Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. He was impeccable with his disciplined length, hitting the 6-8 metre mark repeatedly, and beat Rahul and Jaiswal numerous times.
Akash didn’t bowl at the main nets but was seen undergoing a fitness drill under the watchful eyes of Morne Morkel. He bowled at one of the side wickets in the main ground for around 15 minutes but didn’t go full tilt. He was seen gingerly stepping up the stairs to the dressing room after completing his drill. He is, in all likelihood, out of the fourth Test, which brings Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna into the mix. There is a high chance Kamboj could make his India debut in Manchester.
With Jasprit Bumrah set to play the Manchester Test, the ace India pacer bowled for around 15 minutes in the main nets but didn’t seem satisfied with the landing area, which looked damp due to the persistent rain in the city for the last few days. Bumrah decided to move to the main ground on one of the side pitches and bowled alone, with Morkel assisting him, for around 30 minutes. It seemed like he was trying different angles while having brief conversations with Morkel during his bowling stint.
After a heartbreaking end to the Lord’s Test, Mohammed Siraj was all fire at the nets and bowled his heart out for nearly 20 minutes. It was not a lengthy session with the ball – after marathon spells in all three Tests so far. He remains the only pacer likely to play the full Test series. “It was a heartbreaking moment for me,” Siraj told reporters of the manner in which the Lord’s Test ended. “I am an emotional person. I was having a good partnership with Jadeja, and before me it was Bumrah.
“We felt we would win the match. We came so close. But if you middle a ball and get out, you need to accept your fate and focus on the next challenge. Whenever you play for India, you are motivated to help the team win the game, and I am always willing to give my all to help India win. That will be my aim once again.”
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant kept wickets without any visible discomfort during the slip-catching session, with Karun Nair (1st), Rahul (2nd), Shubman Gill (3rd) and Sai Sudharshan (gully) packing the cordon. It comes as a huge relief for the visitors after Pant hurt his finger during the Lord’s Test and was unable to keep wickets.
With the Old Trafford pitch sporting a greenish look, and it being slightly damp, the focus will be on the playing combination as well. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Gill and chief selector Ajit Agarkar had various lengthy conversations throughout the day and the bone of contention seemed to be the playing XI.
Will the Indian team go by the same combination which they played in Leeds, with both Karun Nair and Sai Sudharshan in the XI along with Shardul Thakur and only one spinner? Or will they go to the two-spinner formula and bring in Kuldeep Yadav? Who out of Kamboj and Prasidh? Team India’s practice session on the eve of the Manchester Test will give a clearer picture.
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