Shoaib Bashir, England’s off-spinner, will miss the final two Tests of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 after breaking a finger on his left hand when trying a catch off his own bowling at Lord’s.
The 21-year-old was injured on Day 3 of the third Test when he attempted to take a return catch to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja in India’s first innings’ 78th over. Bashir had to leave the pitch to undergo treatment. He did not take the pitch for the remainder of the day, while Joe Root bowled 10.1 overs.
Shoaib Bashir did came out to bat in England’s second innings at his usual No. 11 position.
He faced nine balls and scored two runs before being removed by fellow offspinner Washington Sundar. Bashir remained off the pitch for the majority of Day 5 before being invited to bowl in the late afternoon, when the Indian lower-order batters were beginning to confound the England seamers.
Bashir also appeared to be in considerable pain while attempting to prevent a ball from reaching the boundary in the deep. His left hand was firmly strapped.
Bashir finished with 1/6 in 5.5 overs, taking Mohammed Siraj’s final wicket. He bowled the fewest overs of any England bowler on Day 5, except from Joe Root.
Bashir has been preferred by England to play the role of the frontline spinner over the last couple of years. He has kept fellow Somerset teammate Jack Leach out of the side. However, the veteran left-arm spinner could return to the setup after Bashir’s injury. The likes of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Tom Hartley are also in contention to be picked in the lineup for the last two Test matches. England lead the series 2-1 with the last two Tests set to be played in Manchester and London.
