Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], February 25 (ANI): England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir became the second youngest bowler to grab a five-for in Tests for the Three Lions after a fantastic performance on the third day of the fourth Test against India at JSCA International Stadium Complex on Sunday.
Aged just 20 years and 135 days, Bashir picked up five wickets in his spell, dismissing the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja, apart from tail-ender Akash Deep. The youngster bowled a total of 44 overs in his spell, conceding 119 runs while sending down eight maiden overs.
Earlier, leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed recorded similar bowling heroics, taking his maiden five-for at the age of just 18 years and 128 days against Pakistan in the 2022 series at Karachi. The Pakistan-born spinner picked up his wickets at the expense of just 48 runs.
Meanwhile, 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)
