BSS
  02 Feb 2024, 13:21

Bashir gets Rohit for first Test wicket as England strike twice

VISAKHAPATNAM, India, Feb 2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - England's Shoaib Bashir got
India skipper Rohit Sharma out for his first Test wicket on debut as the
hosts reached 103-2 at lunch in the second match on Friday.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, on 51, and Shreyas Iyer, on four, were batting at
the break after India, who trail the five-match series 1-0, elected to bat
first in Visakhapatnam.

Left-hander Jaiswal and Rohit started cautiously to drive the hosts to 40-0
in the first hour of play before Bashir struck with his off-spin and pace
bowler James Anderson made it two down.

The 20-year-old Bashir broke through in the second over after the drinks
break to get Rohit caught out for 14 at leg-slip on a delivery that turned
sharply into the right-hander, and the youngster roared in celebration.

Rohit faced 41 balls and did not hit a boundary.

Bashir made a late entry into India after a visa delay -- the latest
cricketer of Pakistani descent to have such troubles in India -- and missed
the opener that England won by 28 runs.

Jaiswal and Shubman Gill hit a boundary each off Tom Hartley, a left-arm
spinner who returned figures of 7-62 on his debut in the opener, to raise
India's fifty as the two attempted to accelerate.

But Anderson got Gill caught behind for 34 as the 41-year-old veteran moved
to 691 Test wickets.

Jaiswal hit a six and a four off Bashir to raise his fifty and stood firm
with Iyer for company.

England made two changes to their line-up with Bashir and Anderson coming in
for Mark Wood and the injured Jack Leach.

India have handed batsman Rajat Patidar a Test debut and comes alongside
Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar as the hosts look to bounce back from their
Hyderabad defeat.