England will be without their top finger spinner Shoaib Bashir, who was seen heavily strapped on his left hand during the Lord's Test and is now ruled out of the remainder of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Bashir Battles Through Injury During Lord’s Test
The 21-year-old spinner broke his finger on Day 3 at Lord's while trying to catch the ball off his own bowling. The injury forced him to leave the field during the first innings. With Bashir off the field, Joe Root stepped in and bowled 10.2 overs. Heavily strapped, Bashir came out to bat in the second innings, facing 9 deliveries and scoring 2 runs before being dismissed by Washington Sundar.
As India began their chase on Day 5, Bashir continued to be seen with heavy strapping on his left arm. He was on and off the field, mostly replaced by Gus Atkinson. When the ball softened, England brought him back onto the field, and he was seen fielding in the deep. However, his discomfort was evident, especially when he attempted to stop a boundary hit by Ravindra Jadeja.
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Bashir Takes Final Wicket Despite Injury to Seal England’s Lead
Later in the day, Bashir was asked to bowl just before the tea break and delivered four overs before leaving the field again due to discomfort. After tea, he returned to bowl, and with one wicket left for victory, he dismissed Mohammed Siraj in his sixth over to help England take the lead in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
Notably, Bashir bowled only six overs in the second innings fewer than any other England bowler besides Joe Root. As a result, Ben Stokes had to shoulder extra responsibility, bowling nine overs in a single stretch to cover for Bashir.
Bashir Ruled Out of Series as England Face Spin Dilemma
With the seriousness of Bashir’s injury now confirmed, he has been ruled out of the remainder of the series. The England board is expected to announce a replacement soon, according to reports. Bashir has taken 10 wickets across six innings in the ongoing series. He has been England’s frontline spinner for at least two years now and a regular presence in the team. England will surely miss his services for the rest of the series.
Stay tuned for more updates on the England tour of India 2025.
