ENG vs IND 2025: ‘Do you expect him to take 10 wickets?’ – Kapil Dev defends Anshul Kamboj after unimpressive debut in Manchester

Haryana speedster Anshul Kamboj made his international debut in the fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford, Manchester, last week. While the right-arm seamer came into the playing XI on the back of a promising stint for India A against England Lions before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, he failed to make a mark at the highest level.

Fans were surprised to see him struggling to touch 130 kph for most parts. He couldn’t pose much of a challenge for the England batters and conceded runs at an economy rate of 4.90.

While many fans have asked for Kamboj to be dropped from the side for the fifth and final Test match, former India captain Kapil Dev, fondly known as ‘Haryana Hurricane’, urged the team management to give him some more time to prove his mettle. The living legend said that everyone is nervous when they are playing their maiden international match.

“What do you expect from a debutant, that he should take 10 wickets? You have to assess his potential. If he’s good enough, he will bounce back. Everyone is nervous when playing their first game. The result may not be ideal, but I believe the ability is there, and that’s more important,” said Kapil Dev at the launch of the second-half schedule of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).

Dev also urged the stakeholders of Indian cricket to give young captain Shubman Gill a bit more time. The former said that the under-fire skipper will learn with time.

“Give him time. This is his first series, he will commit mistakes and there will be many positives over the period of time, he will learn. There is no problem if he is learning. There will be mistakes, but he is learning from his mistakes, that is very important,” he said.

Kapil Dev also said that the ongoing series will be a great learning experience for the young Indian team, which is going through a transition phase.

“This is a young team, they are getting the opportunity to play and in the coming days these players will win. It is just a new team. Any new team in the world takes time to adjust. Gill is a new captain, and he will learn a lot and I think this series will be a learning step,” said Kapil Dev.

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