Shoaib Bashir's 4-83 is the first time he has taken four wickets in any first-class innings; the 20-year-old bowled unchanged through mammoth 31-over spell; follow text commentary of day three from 3.45am, Sunday, on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App (4am first ball)
Saturday 24 February 2024 16:04, UK
Shoaib Bashir starred with four wickets to see England take charge of the fourth Test against India, the hosts trailing by 134 as they closed day two in Ranchi on 219-7.
In just his second Test match, Bashir (4-83) bowled unchanged through an exhausting 31-over spell either side of tea, the 20-year-old taking four in an innings for the first time in his fledgling first-class career, having only played six games for Somerset prior to this tour.
Bashir first claimed Shubman Gill (38) to break a promising 84-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal (73), who, following back-to-back double-hundreds in the previous two Tests, again looked in sublime touch until being bowled by one that kept low from Bashir on this increasingly misbehaving pitch.
Tom Hartley (2-47) got through his own gruelling 18-over spell for the addition of two wickets, picking up Sarfaraz Khan (14) to a sensational diving slip catch from Joe Root and Ravichandran Aswin (1) lbw to another that hit a crack and shot low across the deck.
Earlier, James Anderson (1-36) claimed his 697th wicket in Test cricket as he picked up India captain Rohit Sharma (2), caught behind, in the third over of the innings.
England - resuming the day on 302-7 in their first innings - were bowled out for 353, with Root left stranded on 122 not out.
Root and Ollie Robinson (58) had started the day brightly, bringing up a century partnership as the latter notched a maiden Test fifty, before Ravindra Jadeja (4-67) got rid of Robinson and the tail in back-to-back overs - the final three wickets falling for six runs.
Anderson's early breakthrough had the visitors immediately hopeful of running through the Indian batting order and had the 41-year-old eyeing 700, but there generally wasn't the zip off the surface to assist the seamers that was evident when Akash Deep took three in his debut spell with the new ball on the first morning.
Jaiswal and Gill looked untroubled as they safely negotiated their way to lunch and steadily built a sizeable partnership in the afternoon, until Bashir stepped up - and not for the last time.
The youngster pinned both Gill and Rajat Patidar (17) lbw in fairly quick succession, getting the benefit of the doubt with a couple of close 'umpire's calls' on DRS - Gill only just being struck inside the line of off and Patidar's leg stump being clipped despite sizeable turn.
With variable bounce becoming increasingly prevalent on this much-cracked pitch, Jadeja (12) looked to counter-punch, knowing there would be one with his name on it soon enough. He succeeded in twice launching Hartley into the stands before popping one up to Ollie Pope at short-leg off Bashir.
Despite having bowled through the entire afternoon session, Bashir continued after tea and it proved the correct call as he claimed the key wicket of Jaiswal for his fourth, before Hartley then got in on the act.
Ben Stokes arguably continued with his spinners a touch too long, however, with Bashir cramping up late on as Dhruv Jurel (30no) and Kudeep Yadav (17no) built an unbroken 42-run stand to somewhat frustrate England through to stumps.
England batter Joe Root, speaking to TNT Sports:
"The way the guys have operated was great, the two young spinners in particular - to stand up and perform like it is really encouraging for English cricket.
"Bash [Shoaib Bashir] was brilliant, he's a great young lad to have in the group. I didn't know much about him before this series; he's got a great character and sense of humour and has huge amount of ability and skill.
"He should take a lot of confidence for the rest of the series and the future as well.
"We've had a good couple of days, certainly stuff to build on in the rest of the Test match.
"The wicket looks like it is going to keep deteriorating and getting worse. If we can get three early wickets tomorrow hopefully that puts us in a really strong position for the rest of the game."
Former England fast bowler Steven Finn, speaking on TNT Sports:
"He [Bashir] is so unflustered in the Test match arena. He doesn't look fazed.
"I don't think he'll get too much sleep tonight. On four, sniffing your first Test match five-for - three tailenders out there waiting - there will be electricity running through his body.
"I thought England were relentless today. With the ball in hand, they were disciplined and never really let India get away.
"As soon as that wicket started playing up and it got in the Indian batters' minds, the momentum of the day shifted.
"If England get far enough ahead, I don't see India chasing sizeable in the last innings."
Follow text commentary of day three of the fourth Test between India and England live on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App from 3.45am on Sunday (4am first ball).
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