England’s young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been ruled out of the remaining two Tests against India after scans confirmed a fractured finger in his left hand – an injury he sustained during the third Test at Lord’s, where he still went on to take the match-winning wicket.Score: India vs England 3rd TestDespite being off the field for most of the match, Bashir returned late on Day 5 to bowl through pain and dismiss Mohammed Siraj – dislodging the leg bail with a sharply turning delivery – to seal a dramatic 22-run victory for England. The win gave the hosts a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“England spinner Shoaib Bashir has sustained a fracture to his left finger and has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against India,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement. “He is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week.”“England will name their squad for the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford in the next couple of days.”
Lauding the 21-year-old’s courage and character, England captain Ben Stokes called Bashir an “absolute warrior.”“Bashir, broken hand, going out there and taking responsibility with the bat, then coming out and picking up the last wicket – absolute warrior to do that for the team,” said Stokes at the post-match presentation. “It was written in the stars for him to take that last wicket.”
Poll
Should England have taken Bashir off the field earlier in the match?
Bashir’s dismissal of Siraj came after India had fought back from 112/8, with Ravindra Jadeja (61* off 181) leading a gritty resistance. Jadeja found support from Jasprit Bumrah and then Siraj, frustrating England before falling short of the 193-run target.While England celebrated a famous win, the loss of Bashir – who made an impressive impact – is a blow ahead of the crucial fourth Test in Manchester. The fourth Test begins on July 23 at Old Trafford, where England will hope to seal the series.
