Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], February 26 (ANI): Shoaib Bashir has expressed optimism about England’s chances of winning and said that the performance by India’s Ashwin and Jadeja on a deteriorating surface has given English spinners confidence.
Bashir snapped five wickets in his spell where he dismissed the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep. The youngster bowled a total of 44 overs in his spell where he conceded 119 runs with eight maiden overs. But England scoring just 145 runs in their second innings put the Three Lions in a high-pressure situation as they’re left with 192 runs to defend against India and risk losing the series.
However, Bashir is optimistic and confident.
“I know I have a job to do [on Day 4] and me and Tom [Hartley] are really excited for the challenge. We know us two lads are up against a world-class team but we’ve got a chance to be heroes,” Bashir said after the third day’s play in Ranchi, when he picked his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
“That pitch is deteriorating quite a bit now. We saw some pop from a good length and some roll. That’s good signs for us. The pitch is deteriorating massively so anything can happen. It’s 10 chances to take 10 wickets. We saw how Ashwin and Jadeja bowled on that wicket and we take huge confidence from that,” the off-spinner added.
He dedicated his performance to his two granddads.
“It was quite emotional. I lost my two grandads about a year-and-a-half ago and they used to just sit and watch Test cricket all the time. Their wish was to see me out on the TV, I know they’re supporting me from up above. It was a very special moment on my journey. Two years ago, I wouldn’t have thought anything like this but that was really special,” the 20-yeasr-old concluded.
At Stumps on Day 3, India were sitting pretty at 40/0, chasing 152 runs more to win the five-match series. Skipper Rohit Sharma (24*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (16*) were unbeaten at the crease when the stumps were drawn.
In their second innings, England was bundled out for just 145 runs, with Zak Crawley (60 in 91 balls, with seven fours) and Jonny Bairstow (30 in 42 balls, with three fours) offering some resistance.
The spinners, hunting in a pack on a surface that offered plenty to them, took all the 10 wickets to fall for England, with the talismanic Ravichandran Ashwin recording yet another five-for and Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja coming up with the perfect supporting act.
Riding on Ashwin’s 5/51 and Kuldeep’s 4/22, the hosts flattened the visitors for under 150. The hosts, thereby, were set a target of 191 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
Earlier, India was bundled out for 307 in their first innings in reply to England’s total of 353. Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal coming up with the goods yet again with 73 off 117 balls, laced with eight fours and a six, the hosts were reduced to 219/7.
Reviving Indian hopes from a point where the hosts were at risk of conceding a healthy lead to the visitors, wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel (90 in 149 balls, with six fours and four sixes) produced a sensational rearguard knock in the company of Kuldeep (28 off 131 balls). The two came together for a 76-run stand for the eighth wicket, dragging India past 300.
Bashir found purchase in the surface and recorded his maiden five-wicket haul. Supporting his figures of 5/119, Tom Hartley (3/68) and James Anderson (2/48) also produced the goods with the ball.
England chose to bat first after winning the toss, putting 353 runs on the board in their first innings, largely riding on a century by former skipper and batting mainstay Joe Root (122* off 274 balls, 10 fours), a half-century from Ollie Robinson (58 off 96 balls, with nine fours and a six) and a fine rearguard effort from keeper-bat Ben Foakes (47 in 126 balls, with four boundaries and a six).
Ravindra Jadeja (4/67) and Akash Deep (3/83) were the pick of the bowlers for India. (ANI)
