Duleep Trophy | I got my chances and have done well, says Anshul Kamboj

Special one: Kamboj, who took eight wickets for India-C, was delighted with the wicket of Sarfaraz.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Medium-pacer Anshul Kamboj (23) was both surprised and hopeful when he was named in the India-C squad for the Duleep Trophy.

“I was not hoping for that (Duleep Trophy call-up), because I’ve done well in white-ball cricket. Red ball was not good for me last year. But (after selection) I was hoping that maybe I will come in (into the XI) and play. I got my chances and I have done well,” he said, after his team’s second-round match against India-B at the Rural Development Trust (RDT) Stadium B-ground here on Sunday.

It was his eight for 69, his maiden First Class five-for, that helped India-C secure a big first-innings lead. He was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match.

What made this bowling effort even more special was that it came on a batting wicket, after the team lost its pace spearhead Sandeep Warrier to a hamstring injury. Kamboj and Vijaykumar Vyshak had to bear the extra workload in Warrier’s absence. He had come into the tournament having played just 13 First Class matches.

“Actually, not much was happening for the bowlers on this wicket. So, I bowled in front of them (the batters), so that I had the chance to get lbw and bowled dismissals,” he said.

Asked if there is one dismissal that he was happy about, he said: “Saifu bhaiyya (Sarfaraz Khan). He is one of the best, has scored a lot of runs in the domestic circuit.”

India-B skipper and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who carried his bat with an unbeaten 157 (286b, 14×4, 1×6), felt good about having been able to bat for a long time since he came into the tournament after recovering from a hamstring injury.

“I was at the NCA for about two and a half months, and then I went to my Bengal team’s camp. There, I batted and basically the preparation was just getting into match zone. I also played a practice match.

“To be able to bat for a long period after my injury was good. I really enjoyed spending time in the middle, and I think it’ll give me confidence for the next game as well,” he said.