Sunil Gavaskar praises Anshul Kamboj's brilliant bowling performance

In the first ODI played between India and New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, 24-year-old young fast bowler Anshul Kamboj stunned everyone with his extraordinary and brilliant bowling. In this match played against New Zealand, Anshul's performance mesmerised cricket enthusiasts, and his bowling was being discussed all over the cricketing world.

During his complete spell of 10 overs in this match, Anshul Kamboj bowled extremely controlled and accurate deliveries. Within his 10-over quota, he bowled 2 maiden overs and took 2 important wickets while conceding only 22 runs. During this period, he bowled a total of 46 dot balls, due to which his economy rate remained just 2.20. These statistics clearly demonstrate that he gave the New Zealand batsmen no opportunity to score runs and maintained his dominance on the field. This large number of dot balls exerted heavy pressure on the batsmen.

A special feature of Anshul's performance is that this is the fewest runs conceded by any Indian bowler during a complete 10-over spell in ODI cricket since the year 2016. In this way, Anshul succeeded in establishing a new and significant record. He was also selected as the 'Player of the Match' for this brilliant and impactful performance that helped win the match.

Former Indian team captain Sunil Gavaskar is very impressed by Anshul's performance and has spared no effort in praising him. During an interview given to Sony Sports, Gavaskar discussed the qualities of Anshul's bowling in detail. Gavaskar specifically focused on the speed of Anshul's bowling and the large and significant changes in his fitness.

Gavaskar noted that Anshul's start was very impressive and he bowled a maiden over from the very first over. Swing was also visible in his bowling, and the ball was coming towards the batsman very quickly. Speaking about the relationship between Anshul's speed and fitness, Gavaskar stated that when he saw Anshul in England last year, his bowling speed was around 127 to 130 kmph.

However, Anshul is now bowling at a speed of more than 135 kmph. According to Gavaskar, this clarifies that there has been a huge improvement in Anshul's fitness. It is because of this improvement in fitness that such a large and positive change is being seen in his bowling, which was clearly visible in his performance. His increased speed is a result of the improvement in his physical capacity.

Gavaskar also highly praised the discipline of Anshul's line and length. He said that when a bowler is in rhythm and has the confidence in his mind not to bowl a no-ball, his bowling speed increases automatically. During Anshul's entire spell, he did not bowl a single ball on the leg or middle stump. He kept creating constant pressure on the batsmen by continuously bowling off-stump or outside it. This accuracy of his created difficulties for the batsmen in scoring runs.

Earlier, the pace of Anshul's bowling was such that batsmen could easily play 'on the up' shots against him. But due to Anshul's accurate line and length on the bouncy and seaming pitch of the Auckland ground, it became almost impossible for the New Zealand batsmen to play shots. The condition of the pitch and Anshul's accuracy put the batsmen in difficulty.

Gavaskar also spoke importantly with reference to the current period of 2026. He stated that due to the increasing influence of T20 cricket, the attitude of batsmen in ODI cricket has also become extremely aggressive. In such times, where batsmen constantly try to remain aggressive, taking wickets while conceding only 22 runs in a 10-over spell is truly extraordinary and special.

Instead of making any kind of unnecessary experiments during the match, Anshul Kamboj relied only on his accurate bowling. Due to this strategic decision, constant pressure was maintained on the New Zealand batsmen, resulting in a magnificent victory for India in this match. With this win, the Indian team has secured a 1-0 lead in the series by winning in Auckland.

According to Gavaskar, Anshul's performance is not limited to just one match, but is the result of his hard work and discipline. The accuracy seen in Anshul's bowling is an example even for any experienced bowler. In this way, Anshul Kamboj made the New Zealand batsmen helpless with his bowling on the Auckland ground and made a significant contribution to India's victory.