England’s most used bowler Anderson-Tendulkar dropped out of the trophy after the Lord’s Test

Despite trailing 2-1, India have outclassed the hosts in most aspects, including the spin department. Now, England’s spin woes have deepened further, with Shoaib Bashir ruled out of the remaining two Tests in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The 20-year-old offspinner, who had gradually cemented his spot as England’s lead tweaker, suffered a fractured finger on his left hand during the third Test at Lord’s.

How England lost Shoaib Bashir

The injury occurred while Bashir attempted a return catch off Ravindra Jadeja on Day 3 of the match. He immediately walked off the field holding his finger and did not return for the rest of India’s first innings. England’s team management initially held out hope for his availability, with the youngster seen bowling with strapping during warm-ups the next day. However, it has now been confirmed that Bashir will undergo surgery later this week and will play no further part in the series.

Despite the fracture, Bashir didn’t completely disappear from the game. He came out to bat in England’s second innings, managed nine balls, and later returned with the ball in hand late on Day 5. Ironically, it was Bashir who claimed the final wicket of the match, removing Mohammad Siraj to seal a hard-fought win for England. That would be his last contribution of the series.

In three Tests, he picked up 10 wickets at an average of 54.1. While far from sensational, he was England’s most-used bowler in the entire Test series. He bowled 140.4 overs—a total of 844 deliveries. However, Bashir also leaked the most runs (541) in the series thus far.

Bashir’s absence now throws England’s plans into disarray. Jack Leach, who has fallen out of favour due to Bashir, could be an obvious replacement if fit. Otherwise, the selectors can also turn to one of Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, or Liam Dawson to fill the void. Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell, who has been in the squad, is most likely to come in to provide more batting and a spin option.