- July 24, 2025
Old Trafford, Manchester — a name that conjures up gray skies, green pitches, and a lot of English dominance. For Team India, however, it is more a house of horrors than a house of enjoyment. But it has a unique little corner in Indian cricket history — the venue where a small group of players first wore their Test caps. And with the fourth Test of 2025, Anshul Kamboj, still just 24 years of age, has just joined that club. Curious to know who else played their first Test at Old Trafford? Let’s take a sentimental stroll down memory lane through Team India’s moments in Manchester — good, bad, and unexpected.
Anshul Kamboj’s Big Leap
Anshul Kamboj’s inclusion in India’s playing XI might’ve raised a few eyebrows, but one glance at his Ranji Trophy numbers and you’ll know why the team management trusted him with the red ball. With 34 wickets in just six games in the 2024-25 season — including a freakish 10-wicket haul in an innings — the Haryana pacer forced his way into the spotlight.
Due to back-to-back injuries to both Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh meant Kamboj had a job to do, and what a stage to get a debut — against England. No pressure, huh? Whatever happens, whether he becomes a long-term fixture or not, Kamboj’s name will forever be a part of the history of Old Trafford, and that counts for something.
Legends and Lost Stars from Manchester Debuts
Anshul Kamboj isn’t the first Indian to begin his Test journey at Old Trafford — way back in 1990, a young Anil Kumble launched his red-ball career on this very ground, setting off on a path that would eventually see him become one of India’s greatest ever bowlers. He grabbed three wickets on debut and never looked back, finishing with a staggering 619 Test scalps. Not a bad way to kick off a legendary career — especially at a venue where India is still chasing that elusive first win.
But not everyone has had the same fairytale. Take Abbas Ali Baig, who smashed a brilliant 112 in his debut in 1959 but somehow only played ten Tests for India. Or Brijesh Patel (1974), who had a rough start with the bat in Manchester but later proved his mettle in domestic cricket with over 11,000 runs.
And then there are the real one-match wonders. Khershed Meherhomji made his Test debut in 1936, and that turned out to be both his first and last time at the crease, where he stayed unbeaten on zero and never got another shot. Remarkably, his Test ended up with him unbeaten on nought — not a legacy you’d seek, but an India debut in Manchester too.
Manchester: The Graveyard or a Stepping Stone?
In nine matches here before 2025, India lost four and drew five. Zero wins. That’s not a stat any team wants, especially one as dominant in world cricket as India today.
And yet, for the ten cricketers who got their first Test cap here before Kamboj, Manchester was the beginning — some of brilliant careers (like Madan Lal, Anil Kumble), some that fizzled out fast (Suru Nayak, Chandu Sarwate). The contrast is fascinating.
It is equally striking how many of these players, such as Cotar Ramaswami (1936) and Ranga Sohoni (1946), went on to successful domestic careers regardless of how their international careers transpired. This confirms that playing in a tough debut venue does not define your whole career… it is what you do next that matters.
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