Shoaib Bashir, the 20-year-old England debutant, had to fly back to England from Abu Dhabi to sort out his visa before catching the flight to India. Despite the visa delay causing a minor inconvenience for the India tour, Bashir is elated to have claimed Rohit Sharma as his first Test wicket. Coming from a Pakistani background, he joined the England squad midway through the Hyderabad Test and witnessed a remarkable victory.
The towering 6’4″ off-spinner showcased his immense talent on the opening day of the series opener, justifying skipper Ben Stokes’ decision to include him in the squad after being impressed by a video clip of his bowling on social media. Bashir emerged as England’s most effective spinner, delivering exceptional figures of two wickets for 100 runs in 28 overs on the first day of the Test.
Bashir expressed his happiness with his debut, stating, “It’s been a very special, special day. For all that I’ve been through in the last two to three years, it made it even more special. To get Rohit Sharma out, my first wicket, feels incredible.”
Despite the visa delay, Bashir was confident about obtaining the visa and assured skipper Ben Stokes about it. Former England captain Alastair Cook has expressed his admiration for Bashir’s exceptional control at such a tender age.
Bashir was awarded his Test cap by his Somerset teammate, Jack Leach, as he stepped in to replace the left-arm spinner following his injury during England’s victorious match in Hyderabad.
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