NEW DELHI: Legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble has commended
England
spinner
Shoaib Bashir
for his exceptional spell, emphasizing his suitability for the Ranchi surface during the ongoing fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi.
Kumble credited the England team management for selecting Bashir and highlighted the impact of his bowling spell.
"Credit to England management for taking a punt on Bashir.
What I understand is that Alastair Cook was batting against Bashir and some 20 balls that Ben Stokes saw, prompted him to get him on tour to India. He's been very impressive," Kumble said.
Speaking on JioCinema, Kumble praised Bashir's bowling lines, particularly his consistency and pace on the Ranchi surface.
"The kind of lines he bowled as an off-spinner, he has kept it outside of the right-hander's eye-line. Very few off-spinners bowl from over the stumps to right-handers these days but he has been very consistent. He has got the pace right on this surface. And look at that length, it's fantastic to see that almost 90 per cent is in the productive area where the oddball will jump. The beehive is perfect for an off-spinner," Kumble added.
Bashir's outstanding performance saw him claim four crucial wickets in his spell of 32 overs, conceding 83 runs. His victims included
Yashasvi Jaiswal
, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, and Ravindra Jadeja.
In the match, England managed to score 353 in their first innings after opting to bat, with
Joe Root
leading the charge with an unbeaten century.
Meanwhile, in India's second innings, they ended day two at 219/7, with Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav at the crease. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill made significant contributions with the bat, but England's spinners, led by Bashir, dominated proceedings, leaving the Three Lions with a lead of 134 runs.
(With inputs from ANI)
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