Manchester: Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj has been included as Team India grapples with an injury crisis ahead of the fourth Test against England, scheduled to begin on July 23 at Old Trafford.
Kamboj's inclusion comes as a strategic move after Arshdeep Singh was ruled out with a hand injury and Akash Deep sustained a groin strain.
Kamboj, who shot to prominence with a stunning 10-wicket haul (10/49) in a Ranji Trophy match against Kerala last November, further impressed selectors with a four-wicket haul in a recent India A fixture. His elevation to the senior team underlines India's intent to strengthen its pace attack on a surface historically known to assist seamers.
India currently trails 1-2 in the five-match series, making the Manchester Test a must-win to stay alive in the contest.
The team, led by Shubman Gill with Rishabh Pant as his deputy, reached a rain-soaked Manchester on Sunday. Visuals shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on X showed key players like KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal arriving amid grey skies.
Weather could play a crucial role, with the Met Office forecasting a 40 percent chance of rain through the match days, a potential disruptor that both sides will need to factor into their game plans.
With the series finely poised and the stakes high, all eyes are now on debutant Kamboj and how India's reconfigured pace unit fares under challenging English conditions.
