India vs England 2024

Shoaib Bashir to debut, James Anderson returns as England confirm two changes for Visakhapatnam Test vs India

Shoaib Bashir, the young Somerset off-spinner, is set for a Test debut after being confirmed to replace the injured Jack Leach in England’s team for the second Test against India, starting tomorrow in Visakhapatnam. This news comes alongside the return of veteran fast bowler James Anderson, replacing Mark Wood in the XI.

Bashir, 20, had his call-up for the Indian tour shrouded in controversy due to visa issues that forced him to miss the first Test in Hyderabad. However, with Leach missing out, the path has opened for him to showcase his talent on the biggest stage. He has impressed many with his off-break bowling in domestic cricket, including the captain of the ship, Ben Stokes, who first got a glimpse of him on Twitter.

“To be perfectly honest, Abu Dhabi was the first real live look I got at Bash. The first time I saw him was on Twitter. I think the County Championship put a little clip together of him bowling against Sir Alastair. I’m in a WhatsApp group with Keysy and Baz. I actually did forward the clip on and said, have a look at this, this could be something we could work with on our India tour’ and it just progressed from there,” Stokes said while speaking to the media.

The other change sees the legendary James Anderson making a welcome return to the Test squad. Wood, despite having had a light workload in Hyderabad, has been rested, paving the way for Anderson’s experience and swing bowling. The 40-year-old veteran will be a force to be reckoned with considering that the wicket in Visakhapatnam is likely to assist seamers, particularly those like Anderson, who are familiar with the art of reverse swing.

England hope for inexperienced spinners to deliver

The changes mean that England’s ‘frontline’ spin attack comprising Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir will go into the game with a collective experience of just 3 Test matches. England will hope that like Hartley, who picked up a 7-wicket haul on debut in Hyderabad, Bashir also hits the straps quickly as they look to build on their early lead in the 5-match series.

What goes in England’s favour is the variety that the three spinners offer. Ahmed is a wrist-spinner, Hartley a left-armer and Bashir is an off-spinner. India will be challenged to the absolute hilt but Rohit Sharma and the management will hope that the batters put the newcomers under severe pressure and exploit their inexperience.