Michael Atherton says Shoaib Bashir's selection for second Test is "remarkable" as England aim to "turn screw" on injury-hit India; England lead five-match series 1-0 after famous win in Hyderabad - follow game with blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms from 4am Friday
Friday 2 February 2024 10:57, UK
After a stunning win in the first Test against India, England have made a "remarkable" selection for the second.
Uncapped off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who this time last week was back in Britain getting his visa rubberstamped, will make his international debut in Vizag from Friday, replacing injured Somerset team-mate Jack Leach (bruised left knee).
The 20-year-old has played just six first-class matches, taking 10 wickets at an average of 67. Those stats do not make for great reading but this England team do not care about stats.
England XI for second Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.
"I can't think of a more remarkable selection in my time watching the England team," Michael Atherton told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
"England have taken lots of punts on leg-spinners - Chris Schofield, Scott Borthwick, Mason Crane, Rehan Ahmed - but regulation finger spinners have usually got into the team after showing a fair amount in county cricket.
"Rather than getting county averages out and picking the best 11 players, they are saying, 'what are the conditions we are playing and what gives us the best chance?' They start from that and work backwards, finding guys that fit the bill.
"What they like about Bashir is that he is not too dissimilar to Tom Hartley [who took a seven-wicket haul in the first Test].
"They have taken a view that spinners that have been successful in India have been tall, drive the ball into the surface and bowl very quickly.
"I watched Bashir in the nets and he probably has an inch on Hartley. He has big, long fingers - Monty Panesar-type fingers.
"Panesar was a bowler who could wrap his fingers around the ball and give it a rip and Bashir has got that as well."
England were being ripped to shreds in the first Test at Hyderabad, sinking to 163-5 in their second innings and still 27 runs behind India's first-innings total.
However, Ollie Pope's 196 rallied the tourists to 420 all out and set India 231 to win, before the hosts were spun out by debutant left-arm spinner Hartley - the bowler bagging 7-62 as India were rolled for 202.
England can sniff another victory in Vizag, with the home side now missing spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (hamstring) and batter KL Rahul (quadriceps) due to injuries sustained in the series opener.
With Virat Kohli (personal reasons) and Mohammed Shami (ankle) already out, India are severely depleted. England are ready to "turn the screw".
Hartley told Sky Sports: "We are really going to pounce on this - Jadeja being injured is a massive blow for them.
"We can't get ahead of ourselves. We have to play what's in front of us but there is a definite feeling we can turn the screw."
You could look at Bazball and think it’s a complete gamble – golf and people having a laugh. They do play like it’s their last day of Test cricket or first day of club cricket. They do go out and enjoy it and take away the fear of failure. But there is also meticulous planning and looking ahead.
Atherton added: "I feel this series has completely turned around now and England come into this Test in a very strong position, although the Leach injury has taken a bit of gloss off.
"You look at India, in particular their batting, and it feels like there are opportunities. From the moment we got the Kohli news, things have switched and I think England have a very good chance."
Follow over-by-over text commentary from the second Test between India and England, in Vizag, live on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App from 3.30am on Friday (first ball at 4am).
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