To take 10 wickets in an innings in any format of the game, you need many things to work in one’s favour.
The conditions should suit one’s strengths. The opponents should have a degree of discomfort facing the bowler. One should have the stamina to sustain yourself through the innings. And most importantly, their fellow bowlers should have a relatively bad day in the office.
For Anshul Kamboj, all these factors aligned to perfection at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli, as he completed a historic 10-wicket haul against Kerala in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match on Friday.
Kamboj’s skiddy pace blended well with the greenish Lahli pitch. It also helped that a sudden drop in temperature allowed him to bowl longer spells without dropping his pace.
The 23-year-old’s 10 wickets were spread over three days, broken over five different spells, with heavy smog forcing a staggered first innings for Kerala.
For the Kerala batters, accustomed to slower pitches back home, Kamboj’s zippy pace was disconcerting, to say the least. Three of them were bowled, four were caught behind, and one was trapped in front.
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The Karnal-born pacer also worked his angles well to keep the opposition guessing. Against a well-set Akshay Chandran, Kamboj chose an around-the-wicket approach on the second day morning. The left-handed batter was then treated to a delivery which slanted in and rattled his stumps.
“In red-ball cricket, line and length is same for every wicket. The red ball moves off the wicket and in the air also. There is not much difference in both the types of wickets [spin and seamer-friendly]. In red-ball cricket, everyone tries to bowl a length ball on the fourth stump, to get an edge or LBW,” said Kamboj on Thursday evening, explaining his process.
Kamboj’s landmark achievement was also aided in no small part by the ineffectiveness of the rest of Haryana’s bowling unit. On a pitch which diverged significantly from the turner against Punjab in the previous round at this venue, the other Haryana bowlers struggled to make an impression, while Kamboj thrived.
The Haryana pacer credits his ability to adapt to conditions for his performance. “After bowling two-three overs, we will understand which line and length will be more helpful to get wickets. I try to adapt as soon as possible to the situation and the kind of wicket,” added Kamboj.
With his feat today, Kamboj became the sixth Indian bowler to take all 10 wickets in a First-Class innings, following in the footsteps of Subhash Gupte (1954), Premansu Chatterjee (1956), Pradeep Sunderam (1985), Anil Kumble (1999) and Debasis Mohanty (2001)
As Kamboj walked back to the pavilion, leading his team, after claiming Shoun Roger as his 10th wicket, the entirety of the Haryana dressing room was out, applauding a momentous performance.
Kamboj looked up at the sun through the haze, flicked the match ball in his hand and then displayed it to everyone applauding while smiling shyly. It was the culmination of numerous variables coming together, all for it to create a perfect 10.
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