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Bashir, with Pakistani heritage, faced complications travelling with the England squad from Abu Dhabi to Hyderabad for the series opener due to the visa delay.He eventually joined the team during the Hyderabad Test, witnessing a memorable victory.On Friday, the 6’4″ tall off-spinner showcased his abilities, illustrating why skipper Ben Stokes selected him after viewing a video clip of his bowling on social media.
Bashir, with only six first-class games under his belt before his significant opportunity, emerged as England’s most effective spinner on the opening day. He registered figures of two for 100 in 28 overs, also delivering the highest number of overs during the day.
“It’s been a very special, special day. For all that I’ve been through in the last two to three years, it made it even more special. To get Rohit Sharma out, my first wicket, feels incredible.
“He’s a quality player, one of the best in the world and a great player of spin as well,” said Bashir after the close of play.
Bashir had to fly back to England from Abu Dhabi to get his visa sorted before taking the flight to India. Stokes said he was devastated and even contemplated staying back in Abu Dhabi until the issue was sorted but Bashir stated he was always sure about getting the visa.
“No doubts at all, I always knew I would get the visa. It was a bit of a hassle but we’re here now, I’ve made my debut, and that’s all that matters. I was pretty chilled to be fair. I knew it would get sorted so thanks to ECB and BCCI for sorting out quite quickly,” he said.
Being that tall does have its advantages, one being the ability to generate extra bounce.
“(Growing up) Always been above average height, 6ft 4in does help with the spin I guess,” he said on a lighter note.
Former England captain Alastair Cook has been left impressed with Bashir’s control at such a young age but the spinner himself feels he could have been more accurate on his first day in Test cricket.
“I could have been a bit more consistent with my lines but I’m just going to look back on this day and think getting Rohit Sharma out, I think that’s all that matters really,” he said.
Besides Stokes, he is also glad to pick brains of veterans James Anderson and Joe Root in the England setup.
“Jimmy is cap 613, I’m cap 713 so there’s a hundred caps between us. He’s an incredible lad, the experience is crazy and having Rooty out there helps a lot as well.”
England picked up three wickets in the final session to pick up some momentum going into day two.
“I think we did well to get them six down towards the end of the day. Looking ahead we’ll want to get a couple of early breakthroughs (and) then get batting,” added Bashir.
(With inputs from PTI)
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