Shoaib Bashir started the five-Test series against India as England’s main spinner. The 21-year-old who debuted against India in Visakhapatnam last year took 10 wickets in the first three Tests. He missed the last two because of a finger injury at Lord’s.
With Bashir out, England brought back Liam Dawson after eight years and he played at Old Trafford. In his first red-ball match for England since 2017, Dawson got only one wicket.
England could have recalled Jack Leach but they didn’t. Nathan Lyon, the Australian spinner, thinks Leach is England’s best bet for the Ashes tour later this year.
I think Jack Leach is still their best spinner, Lyon told the Indian Express.
It’s a big job and it can be tough for people who haven’t done it before in these conditions, Lyon said about spin bowling in Australia.
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I’m not sharing my secrets so they can do well here. Our guys know how to play spin well in Australia. That’s probably why I’m so good. I want to keep improving and we’ll see how their spinners do, he said.
I played with Jimmy Anderson last year at Lancashire and they said they were picking Bashir to copy me. I was a little proud that Jimmy respected what I’ve done. But Bashir has been okay, he said.
England is also training Jacob Bethell, a batsman who bowls left-arm spin. Jacob Bethell is playing this Test match (tonight at The Oval) and it looks like he’ll be the spinner instead of Liam Dawson, he added.
