Following an injury to his left little finger on Day 3 of the Lord’s Test match against India, England must anxiously await the return of off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Ravindra Jadeja hit Shoaib Bashir with a strong low shot while he was bowling to him, causing the incident.
The ball hit Shoaib Bashir hard on the hand, but technically it was a caught-and-bowled opportunity. He seemed to have a dislocation and motioned for help to be taken to the dressing room right away. The over had to be finished by Joe Root.
At first, the England team held out hope that Bashir would bowl again during the evening session. He sat among the substitute fielders, though, and avoided the pitch. Bashir’s eligibility to bat is still unknown, however he was spotted bowling on a practice strip before Day 4 with extensive strapping on his fourth and fifth fingers.
“Shoaib Bashir is still being watched after suffering a left little finger injury, but he is anticipated to bowl in this Test’s fourth innings. He will decide in due time whether or not to bat in the third innings. At the conclusion of the game, his participation in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford will be evaluated,” an England statement said on the morning of the fourth day.
Including the dismissal of KL Rahul on Day 3 of the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Lord’s, Bashir has already claimed nine wickets at an average of 59.44 in the series. Liam Dawson, Jack Leach, and Rehan Ahmed are England’s other spin options in case he is unable to play in the upcoming Test match in Manchester. Brendon McCullum, the head coach of England, has made it clear that Jacob Bethell is not considered a No. 8 option but rather a backup hitter.
With India’s decisive comeback at Edgbaston and England’s opening Test triumph at Headingley, the five-match Test series is evenly balanced at 1-1.
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