Former cricketer Irfan Pathan has named India seamer Anshul Kamboj as the biggest positive for him from the first ODI against New Zealand. The fixture was held in Auckland on November 4.
After being asked to bat first, New Zealand were dismissed for 185 in 40.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh returned figures of 4/70 in 10 overs, while Gurnoor Brar picked up 3/44 in 9.2 overs. Meanwhile, Anshul Kamboj impressed with figures of 2/22 in his 10-over spell.
In response, the Men in Blue secured a five-wicket victory while chasing a revised target of 143 under the DLS method, with Virat Kohli leading the way with 74 off 51 balls, laced with 13 fours and one six.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel (Irfan Pathan), the 42-year-old remarked that Kamboj’s graph has been improving. He stated that the seamer generated more movement than the other bowlers and bowled consistently in the right areas. Irfan Pathan said:
“The biggest positive for me from this match was Anshul Kamboj. His graph has been steadily improving, but throughout his spell, even when he was bowling towards the end, the ball was moving more than it was for the other bowlers. Kamboj’s lengths were relentless. He was consistently bowling in the right areas, generating movement and also making use of the scrambled seam.”
Kamboj was also awarded the Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance.
“He is heading in the right direction” – Irfan Pathan’s assessment of Anshul Kamboj
In the same video, Irfan Pathan stated that Anshul Kamboj is a skilful bowler who has demonstrated his ability to bowl yorkers for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He also highlighted his ability to contribute with the bat lower down the order, adding that he is heading in the right direction. Pathan said:
“He is a skilful bowler who can bowl with the new ball as well. We have seen him do that for Chennai. He also has the ability to come around the wicket and regularly bowl wide yorkers. He can also contribute with the bat lower down the order. So, I genuinely think he is heading in the right direction. I am really impressed with the way he bowled.”
The seamer will next feature in the second ODI against New Zealand on Saturday, November 7, in Wellington.
Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️
Edited by Dev Sharma
