It’s a good measure of how good Shoaib Bashir was on day two of the fourth India-England Test here when the first question in the post-match media briefing to centurion Joe Root was about the 20-year-old off-spinner.
Root, the veteran who saved England’s blushes on day one, was effusive in his praise for Bashir, whose four wickets (four for 84) in only his second Test pegged India back.
“He has been excellent since he has come into the squad,” Root said. “The way he bowls is a good little insight into his character and personality. He is quite cheeky and great fun. There is clearly a huge amount of skill in what he does.”
Bashir bowled 31 of his 32 overs on the trot and 18 of those were in tandem with left-arm spinner Tom Hartley (two for 47).
“For [Ben] Stokes to put so much trust in such a young guy who has played so little Test cricket, and for him to step up. You could see that he [Bashir] was desperate to do his part and fill his role. It was great to see him get the rewards.”
Root was also relieved with his own batting (122 n.o.), which came on the back of just 77 runs in the first three Tests. What stood out was the 33-year-old completely eschewing unorthodox shots, like the reverse-scoop he got out to in Rajkot.
“It did briefly cross my mind, but on this wicket it’s not a great option,” Root said. “It was a fleeting and selfish thought that left my mind very quickly.
“If you look at the previous wicket [in Rajkot], it wasn’t as bad. The execution of the shot has weighed on me, not necessarily the selection. Batting is about outscoring the opposition to give yourselves the best chance of winning. If you get out, you’re out, and it doesn’t matter how it looks.”
