Shoaib Bashir ruled out due to injury for remainder of England vs India Test series; check details

Mint

17 hours ago

Shoaib Bashir, England's offspinner has been ruled out of the final two matches of the ongoing Test series against India after sustaining an injury on his finger. Despite the setback, Bashir's contribution to his team's dramatic 22-run victory has left a mark on the series.
Shoaib Bashir will miss the upcoming Test matches due to a fractured finger on his non-bowling hand. He sustained the injury on the little finger of his left hand, during a valiant attempt to take a return catch off Ravindra Jadeja's powerful drive on day three of the third Test at Lord's. The young bowler will now face surgery later this week.
Despite the injury, Shoaib Bashir displayed remarkable resilience. He returned to bat in England's second innings, facing nine balls and scoring two runs before becoming Washington Sundar's fourth wicket.
England set India a target of 193, and Bashir's determination didn't stop there. Despite spending much of the fourth innings off the field, he answered captain Ben Stokes' call in the 55th over, with India's Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah frustrating England with a stubborn 35-run partnership.
With his ring and little fingers splinted and heavily bandaged, Bashir bowled three overs in a tense middle session. His perseverance paid off after the tea break when he delivered the decisive blow. Bowling to No. 11 Mohammed Siraj, Bashir tossed up a delivery. The ball rolled down Siraj's bat, trickled onto the leg stump, and dislodged a single bail. This wicket sealed England's victory, giving them a 2-1 series lead in the five-match series.
"It's not good news for Bash," Ben Stokes said after the match. "Very disappointing for us as a team and for him, a big shame.
"The courage that he showed to go out there and bat at the end for us and willing to sit there on the bench waiting for his moment to come on and bowl just proves how much it means to everyone who gets the opportunity to put the shirt on, that not even a couple of breaks is going to stop anyone getting out there," he added.
With Shoaib Bashir ruled out, England must now look to replacements for the fourth Test, starting July 23 at Old Trafford.
Liam Dawson, who recently returned to international cricket with a brilliant 4 for 20 in a T20I against West Indies, is a strong contender.
Fellow left-arm spinner Jack Leach is also in the mix.
Stokes praised Bashir's readiness, noting, 'Every time I looked around at the bench and asked for a drink, I'd just see Bash's little head peeking through there ready to go.' The captain's tactical use of spin to break India's batting rhythm proved effective, and Dawson or Leach will likely be tasked with filling Bashir's shoes.
Shoaib Bashir claimed 10 wickets at an average of 54.10 during the series. In the recent match, he took 1 for 59 from 14.1 overs in India's first innings, and his 1 for 6 from 5.5 overs in the second innings included the match-defining wicket of Siraj.
As England prepares for the next Test, Bashir's absence will be a big blow for the team.