India, July 26 -- When Anshul Kamboj arrived in Manchester early this week to link up with the Indian Test team, there was a sense of optimism. Hope, yes, but also the belief that he was the real deal. That he wouldn't become a one-Test blunder. That he had a long, promising future ahead of him.

After all, the 24-year-old had stacked up an impressive CV of rave reviews. From Stephen Fleming, his coach at Chennai Super Kings. From R Ashwin, the now-retired off-spinner, India's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests. And most significantly, from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former India captain who isn't given to singing paeans of praise easily.

Kamboj is strong. He is young - only 24 - but he has a reasonable volume of work in first-class cri...