England debutant Shoaib Bashir had an amazing outing in the ongoing second Test against India in Vizag on February 2, 2024. Bashir had missed the first Test in Hyderabad due to visa issues but claimed the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma as his first Test wicket.
The 6'4" tall off-spinner showcased his abilities, showing why skipper Ben Stokes selected him after viewing a video clip of his bowling on social media. He has played only six first-class games and proved to be the most effective England spinner on day one of the second Test.
"It's been a very special, special day. For all that I've been through in the last two to three years, it made it even more special. To get Rohit Sharma out, my first wicket feels incredible. He's a quality player, one of the best in the world, and a great player of spin as well. (Growing up) Always been above average height, 6ft 4in does help with the spin I guess," said Bashir after the close of play.
Bashir who is of Pakistani heritage faced complications travelling with the England squad from Abu Dhabi to Hyderabad. Bashir had to fly back to England from Abu Dhabi to get his visa sorted before taking the flight to India.
"No doubts at all, I always knew I would get the visa. It was a bit of a hassle but we're here now, I've made my debut, and that's all that matters. I was pretty chilled to be fair. I knew it would get sorted so thanks to ECB and BCCI for sorting out quite quickly," he said.
Bashir’s control with the ball has impressed many but he himself felt that he could have been more accurate.
"I could have been a bit more consistent with my lines but I'm just going to look back on this day and think getting Rohit Sharma out, I think that's all that matters really," he said.
England picked up three wickets in the final session to pick up some momentum going into day two.
"I think we did well to get them six down towards the end of the day. Looking ahead we'll want to get a couple of early breakthroughs (and) then get batting," added Bashir.
(PTI inputs)
