NEW DELHI: Former England cricketer Michael Atherton commended debutant spinner
Shoaib Bashir
for his impressive performance on the first day of the second Test between India and England at Visakhapatnam.
Atherton acknowledged Bashir's calm demeanor, describing him as "completely nerveless" and highlighted the spinner's accuracy and bounce due to his height.
Speaking on Sky Sports,
Atherton
stated, "For him to bowl as he did today, 28 overs, I think he looked completely nerveless.
He bowled accurately throughout. And there is not much in the pitch for him or anybody else, to be honest."
Atherton pointed out Bashir's ability to generate bounce and the importance of getting the wicket of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. "He gets quite a bit of bounce because of his height and the overspin that he gets on the ball. Obviously, the crowning moment for him was when he got
Rohit Sharma
out."
"It is a huge wicket because India's batting line-up is actually quite inexperienced for them. Shoaib got him early on, picked up a late wicket and took a catch as well, so it couldn't have really gone better for him."
"Most importantly of all, he showed he has got the temperament for the occasion today; a terrific day for him," Atherton concluded.
In the ongoing Test, India finished day one at 336/6, with
Yashasvi Jaiswal
unbeaten at 179. Debutant Shoaib Bashir, despite the challenging conditions, showcased his skills and contributed significantly to England's bowling effort.
(With inputs from ANI)
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