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Akash Deep, who impressed in the second and third Tests at Birmingham and Lord’s, is nursing a groin niggle. Arshdeep Singh, meanwhile, sustained a blow on his bowling arm during a net session while attempting to stop a shot from Sai Sudharsan at Beckenham. The left-armer had to bandage his left hand and is unlikely to be fit in time.

“We’ll take a call on the combination we play, particularly given the Arshdeep situation as well, we’ll make that call closer to Manchester,” said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. “He took a ball while he was bowling…it’s just a cut. The medical team has taken him to a doctor to assess the severity.”

In the absence of clear timelines for recovery, selectors have called up 24-year-old Kamboj, who has been impressive in India A’s recent matches against the England Lions. He picked up five wickets across four innings in side games at Northampton and Canterbury, drawing attention with his seam movement and bounce.

A hit-the-deck bowler from Haryana, Kamboj is viewed as a promising red-ball talent. He made headlines last year in the Ranji Trophy by taking all 10 wickets in a single innings against Kerala at Lahli—becoming only the third bowler in Ranji history to achieve that feat, after Premangsu Chatterjee (1956-57) and Pradeep Somasundaram (1985-86).

With Mukesh Kumar entering his 30s and Harshit Rana still finding his rhythm in red-ball cricket, Kamboj’s entry gives India a youthful option in the pace department. Whether he makes the playing XI at Old Trafford remains to be seen, but the call-up is a strong nod to his growing reputation.