Shoaib Bashir has been replaced by Liam Dawson in England’s starting lineup for the fourth Test match, which got underway on Wednesday, July 23 at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. During India’s opening innings at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, Bashir hurt his left hand while attempting to make a catch to get rid of Ravindra Jadeja.
Since 2017, Liam Dawson has not participated in a Test match. He had previously played in the game’s longest format at Trent Bridge in Nottingham against South Africa. In the first and second innings, he bowled just seven and eleven overs, respectively. Only one wicket was taken by the left-arm spinner.
With the bat, Liam Dawson recorded 13 and 5* runs. By 340 runs, the Proteas prevailed in the game.
After playing three Test matches and taking seven wickets at an average of 42.57, the Swindon native lost his spot in the team. Dawson kept up his diligent job in the County circuit. He has taken 371 wickets with a strike rate of 66.20 and an average of 31.54 in 212 first-class matches. The 35-year-old has already claimed 15 five-wicket hauls.
With 10,731 runs at an average of 35.29 in red-ball cricket, Dawson is also no mug with the bat. In his first-class career, he also has 18 centuries and 56 fifties.
Recent shape and the emergence of fresh optimism
Liam Dawson has averaged 47.59 with the bat and 25.63 with the ball throughout Hampshire’s last two and a half County Championship seasons. It’s interesting to note that Dawson acknowledged last year that Test cricket was “completely off the radar” for him and that he was content with his international career probably coming to an end. He is back in the Test team today, though, and is expected to play a big part in the T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka the following year.
In the five-match Test series versus India, England is ahead 2-1. With the final Test match set for London, a victory in Manchester would give them an insurmountable advantage in the series.
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