England’s young offspinner Shoaib Bashir is set to make his Test debut, replacing Jack Leach in the playing XI for the second Test against India, scheduled to be played in Visakhapatnam from tomorrow.
Leach, a left-arm spinner, injured his knee while fielding in the first Test and was forced out with a haematoma.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Bashir missed the first Test in Hyderabad and joined the England squad mid-way through the first Test, after facing a visa delay due to his Pakistani heritage.
Bashir will join fellow spinners Rehan Ahmed, Joe Root and Tom Hartley, as well as senior pace bowler James Anderson, who returns to the team as the lone quick, replacing Mark Wood.
England are currently leading the five-match series after winning the Hyderabad Test by 28 runs, courtesy of Ollie Pope’s courageous 196, followed by Tom Hartley’s clinical bowling performance on debut.
Chasing 231 for victory, India were bowled out for 202 in the final over of an extended third session of play in Hyderabad, as Hartley got Mohammed Siraj stumped with his left-arm spin to trigger celebrations from the England camp.
Hartley returned with the bowling figures of 7-62 and a match tally of nine wickets, meanwhile, Pope stood out with his 196 to bring England bouncing back from being 190 behind at the start of their second innings.
England Playing XI for second Test against India
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, and James Anderson.
