NEW DELHI: England's uncapped spinner Shoaib Bashir on Tuesday arrived in Visakhapatnam ahead of the second Test in the five-match series against India at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Following England's narrow 28-run victory in the first Test, both teams, along with Bashir, headed to Visakhapatnam in preparation for the upcoming match scheduled to commence on Friday.
Bashir was unable to participate in the first Test held in Hyderabad due to visa complications, despite being a promising 20-year-old spinner. However, with his visa issues resolved just before the opening clash, Bashir is now eligible for selection in the second Test.
Team India is eager for redemption after falling 0-1 behind in the series. Despite dominating the first Test, England's Ollie Pope, particularly on Day 3, turned the tables with his skillful reverse sweeps. Pope not only erased India's 190-run lead but set a defendable target of 196.
Debutant Tom Hartley made a remarkable entry, spinning out India's batters with a spell of 7/62. His overall figures of 9/193 are the best for an England spinner on Test debut since 1945.
Hartley's nine-wicket haul in the match equalled the most since Robert Berry's 9/116 against West Indies in 1950, making him just the fourth England spinner this century to achieve a five-wicket haul on Test debut.
(With ANI inputs)
