Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has heaped praise on Indian pacer Anshul Kamboj, stating that he could be a useful bowler for Team India in the forthcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand.
For the unversed, India will lock horns with New Zealand in the first Test from Thursday, November 19, in Wellington. The Indian men’s selection committee picked Kamboj as one of the frontline pacers in India’s 16-man Test squad.
Speaking on Sony Sports, Shastri asserted that Kamboj could be a handy bowler for India in the middle overs in a Test match or in an ODI game, adding that he has the ability to break crucial partnerships.
“He can bat as well. So that comes in handy for Anshul. In the middle overs in a Test match or in an ODI game, you have got to have bowlers who have the ability to take wickets. Why India is 2-0 up is because of the performance of Anshul and Gurnoor Brar. In those middle overs where India normally go to spin to pick up wickets, it’s the fast bowlers who have done the job,” Shastri said.
“In a country like New Zealand, in Test match cricket, you will need a workhorse, and I think he is the man who could be your workhorse – someone like a Kamboj, who can come and bowl you those 15 overs and block one end up, especially when the going gets tough, when it’s very windy and things of that sort,” he added.
Further, Shastri remarked that Kamboj has done a lot of bowling in domestic cricket for his state team, Haryana, and across formats, adding that he would be a useful bowler in New Zealand conditions.
“He comes across as a bloke who has done a lot of bowling in domestic cricket for Haryana and across formats. I think he will be very useful in these conditions. Sometimes you have got to pick blokes as horses for courses. He is the kind of guy who hits the bat. He is accurate,” he said.
“More importantly, if there is something there in the surface, the ball will nibble, he hits the bat, and he can get the ball to go both ways and surprise the batter. I think a welcome addition. You have got to build your bench strength as a fast bowling unit, and I think he is one of them. For New Zealand, South Africa, and England, he becomes a good choice,” Shastri concluded.
