England remains hopeful that spinner Shoaib Bashir will be able to bowl in the fourth innings of the Lord’s Test, though there is doubt over his ability to bat.
England is concerned about Bashir’s fitness after he suffered a finger injury and had to leave the field during the ongoing Lord’s Test. However, they remain optimistic that the off-spinner will bowl in the fourth innings, while his participation with the bat remains uncertain.
Bashir sustained the injury on Saturday, the third day of the Test against India, when Ravindra Jadeja struck one of his deliveries hard. Bashir went to take the return catch but failed to hold onto the ball, and it hit his left-hand pinky finger. He immediately left the field, with Joe Root finishing the over in his place.
England had hoped Bashir would return to bowl later that day, but he did not take the field again.
Before the start of play on day four, Bashir bowled in the nets with strapping on his left ring and pinky fingers. On Sunday morning, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) issued a statement updating on his injury.
“After sustaining the injury to the left-hand pinky, Shoaib Bashir is being monitored and is expected to bowl in the fourth innings of the ongoing Test. Whether he will bat in the third innings will be decided in due course. His participation in the fourth Test at Old Trafford will be assessed after the current match.”
Bashir has taken nine wickets at an average of 59.44 in the Anderson-Tendulkar series. Among his victims is India’s Lokesh Rahul, who scored a century at Lord’s. If Bashir is unable to play in the Manchester Test, England may opt to include Liyan Dosunmu, Jack Leach, or Rehan Ahmed instead.
