That first wicket feeling! Shoaib Bashir was over the moon twice in an hour – first when he received his England Test cap and then on dismissing Rohit Sharma for his maiden wicket. Yes, 19-year-old off spinner Bashir’s first wicket in international cricket is none other than the Indian captain. Bashir, one of the two debutants in this match along with India’s Rajat Patidar, was off to a gleeful start to the Visakhapatnam Test as he had Rohit out caught at leg slip in only his fourth over after England were asked to bowl on Day 1 of the 2nd Test.
Rohit looked awfully quiet during his 41-ball stay, exhibiting a sedate approach to ensure India were off to a cautious start. After 10 overs, they reached 23/0 with only two boundaries which Yashasvi Jaiswal picked off the bowling of Joe Root in the 2nd over. But with England operating with James Anderson’s pacer from one end and Root’s more than handy off-spin, India were just that tad watchful.
Sending that India were not too to take risks, Ben Stokes turned to his specialist spinners. Star of the Hyderabad Test, Tom Hartley bowled the 11th over, after which Bashir was introduced immediately, and it didn’t take him long. With a leg-slip in, Rohit fell right into the trap as he glided the ball to be dismissed for 14. Sunil Gavaskar made a pretty interesting observation from the commentary box when he said, “Perhaps Rohit did not know that a leg slip was in place” echoing aptly with the India captain’s expressions as he walked off.
Gill, Jaiswal rescue
But it was almost as if Rohit’s dismissal proved to be a blessing in disguise for India as with Shubman Gill taking centre-stage, the floodgates opened. Boundaries started coming thick and fast with Gill and Jaiswal switching gears effortlessly. Gill tucked into Hartley for his first four but went quiet for the next seven overs allowing Jaiswal to pick pace. In the 27th and 28th overs, Gill upped the ante, creaming Bashir for back-to-back fours and an outside edge off Anderson.
He gave his old nemesis the charge, but looked unsettled, and despite getting himself another four off an thick nick, Gill wasn’t a third time lucky as he edged Anderson to Ben Foakes.
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