Watch: Shoaib Bashir’s Test career got off to a memorable start with the wicket of India skipper Rohit Sharma in the first session of the India-England Visakhapatnam Test.
England made two changes for the second Test, recalling James Anderson in place of Mark Wood, and replacing the injured Jack Leach with the uncapped Bashir. Ahead of the first Test, Bashir’s absence from the Test squad led to considerable discussion; a visa issue caused a delay in his arrival, deeming him unavailable for the Hyderabad game.
Having joined the team last week, Bashir was confirmed to play the day before, and was handed his cap by his Somerset teammate Leach on the morning of the game.
Pressed into action as the third spinner after Joe Root and Tom Hartley, the 20-year-old Bashir came to bowl in the 12th over, using his 6’4” frame to gain some extra bounce.
What a moment for Shoaib Bashir! A first Test wicket for the debutant, and a crucial breakthrough for England.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/jUbifrZgM0
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 2, 2024
In the 18th over, Bashir had his first breakthrough: Rohit Sharma, in an attempt to glance one that turned in, ended up gifting a catch to Ollie Pope at leg slip. It was Bashir’s 11th first-class wicket.
On commentary, Sunil Gavaskar lauded Ben Stokes for the field placement: “Terrific captaincy, not many captains would have kept the fielder at leg slip”.
He added that “Rohit might have possibly forgotten that there was a leg slip because he played the leg glance”.
Harsha Bhogle later called Rohit’s approach “exaggeratedly cautious”.
