England’s dressing-room was a touch subdued on the third evening at Lord’s. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, trying to cling on to Ravindra Jadeja’s firm drive, copped the ball flush on the little finger of his non-bowling hand and trudged off, wincing. A caught-and-bowled chance in theory, a dislocation in practice.
He did not return to the field for the rest of the day. Joe Root hurried through the final balls of the over, and Bashir sat among the substitutes with his left hand wrapped. Early the next morning he gave the injured digit a cautious work-out on a practice strip, heavy strapping covering the fourth and fifth fingers. Bowling looked manageable; batting, less so.
The ECB offered a short update before play. “Following his left little finger injury, Shoaib Bashir continues to be monitored and is expected to bowl in the fourth innings of this Test. A decision on whether he will bat in the third innings will be made in due course. His involvement in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford will be assessed at the end of the match.”
That clears up almost nothing, yet it is all England can state with certainty. Bashir’s return would matter: he has nine wickets in the series, expensive at 59.44, but he did nip out KL Rahul on day three and the surface is starting to take turn.
If he fails to pull through for Manchester the selectors have choices, none perfect. Liam Dawson brings control and runs, Jack Leach experience, Rehan Ahmed lively leg-spin. Head coach Brendon McCullum, speaking earlier in the week, stressed that Jacob Bethell remains cover for the batting unit, not a No. 8 who bowls a bit.
For now the immediate concern is whether Bashir can grip the bat when England resume. Even a handful of lower-order runs could prove useful before he is asked to loop his off-breaks again in India’s chase.
