'Bowled slower than IPL': Ashwin raises red flag over Anshul Kamboj's pace drop

Ashwin raises red flag over Anshul Kamboj's pace drop (AP Photo)

Ravichandran Ashwin, who shared the dugout with Anshul Kamboj in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, claimed that the latter bowled much quickly than he did in the fourth Test against England in Manchester, which was his maiden appearance for India in any format. India is down not just in the match but also in the series, thus Ashwin questioned the fitness of his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teammate.

On Day 2 of the Test, Kamboj had a difficult start to his Test career, but he ended it by taking his first wicket by removing a composed Ben Duckett.

Given that Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, the pace duo, were not playing at their best, Kamboj had a significant role to play. Nevertheless, he finished the day with somber numbers of 1/89 off his 18 overs.

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Kamboj had trouble getting any rhythm with the second new ball the next day and his deliveries were consistently clocked in the 120 kmph range. This prompted Ashwin to raise concerns about the pacer's speed.

“I praised Anshul Kamboj yesterday, but I have to say that his bowling speeds were so low, I was quite surprised. I honestly hope he is okay, because he was bowling faster than this in the IPL," Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel. “He looked like he was struggling a touch. All said and done, the only solution to this (Bowling injuries and inefficiency) is to be able to create a bigger pool of bowlers," Ashwin added.

Following the injuries that kept pacers Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep out of the Manchester Test, Kamboj was brought in as a backup. He had been a member of the India A team prior to the commencement of the five-Test series.

Prasidh Krishna and Kamboj were the options for the third pacer. A faltering Indian bowling unit, aided by batter-friendly circumstances, was exploited by England batters.