VISAKHAPATNAM: Shoaib Bashir will make his delayed Test debut against India on Friday, while veteran James Anderson will replace Mark Wood as England’s lone fast bowler in the second match of the series in Visakhapatnam, touring captain Ben Stokes said.

Off-spinner Bashir missed the opening Test in Hyderabad — where England registered one of their greatest away wins — following a visa delay — the latest cricketer of Pakistani descent to have such troubles in India.

The 20-year-old off-spinner had to fly back to London from Abu Dhabi to finish the required paperwork for his entry to India.

Bashir will replace Somerset team-mate Jack Leach, who hurt his left knee while fielding in Hyderabad, where England grabbed a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

“The forced change, Bash coming in for Leachy, was a simple one: one spinner out, one spinner in,” Stokes told reporters on Thursday. “He [Bashir] looked very excited.

“He was just taking it all in to be honest, landing that early then coming in and seeing what had gone on. I think he really enjoyed being in that dressing room.

“There’s no worries and no issues for me that he’s been away from the group for a period of time, then coming back in to make his debut. It’s not like he’s forgotten how to bowl”.

Bashir will join Rehan Ahmed, Joe Root and Tom Hartley, the latter starring in the opening win with figures of 7-62 in his Test debut, in England’s spin-heavy attack

Leach, a left-arm spinner, injured his knee while fielding in the first Test and played a limited role before being forced out of the second with a haematoma.

Anderson will be playing his 184th Test and Stokes said the 41-year-old’s experience would come in handy as England bid to end India’s record of not losing a Test series at home since 2012.

Anderson is 10 shy of 700 Test wickets and Stokes hailed his old warhorse.

“Bringing Jimmy’s experience, the class that he has, is great and I think it also goes under the radar how good his record in India is,” said Stokes. “We just feel like there’s a bit more I can turn to him for. He has different skill sets that I will be able to exploit in Indian conditions. Not only his new ball skills - reverse skills, his off-cutter skills and stuff like that.”

Stokes also defended Wood for going wicketless in the first Test. “The sort of wicket last week didn’t really offer too much assistance. He’ll definitely have a part to play further on,” said Stokes.

Part-time spinner Root returned a match haul of five wickets, including four in India’s first innings, and ably supported the young slow bowlers including Hartley and teenager Ahmed. “To also have the benefit of Joe’s bowling out here is obviously massive,” said Stokes.

Stokes said the wicket in Visakhapatnam will spin as the match goes on, but the tourists would not go in with “many preconceived ideas” about the track.

India are without all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and batter K.L. Rahul, both of whom suffered injuries in Hyderabad.

They were already without batting mainstay Virat Kohli, who is unavailable for the first two Tests for personal reasons.

Wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat, however, was confident in India’s bench strength to deliver a second Test bounce-back with batsmen Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar are in line for Test debuts.

“Credit where it’s due, they deserved to win [in Hyderabad],” hometown hero Bharat, 30, told reporters on Thursday. “But we have bounced back previously as well so yeah, looking forward to this next challenge.”

India squandered a first-innings lead of 190 in Hyderabad letting England off the hook, but Bharat said they were not panicking yet.

“After the game, the atmosphere was absolutely relaxed. They [team management] asked us not to panic. The instruction is very clear, that it’s a long Test series and we ... have to focus on good things.

“Things that we want to try and implement. We just want to play good cricket. That’s the message from the captain and the coach,” Bharat added.

India got a taste of their own medicine on home turf when England batsman Ollie Pope turned the match on its head with his 196 to blunt the Indian spinners.

Bharat had the best seat in the house when Pope used the unorthodox reverse sweep to good effect in his marathon knock as England posted 420 and handed the hosts a target of 231.

Bharat said the home batsmen have a plan to counter the opposition bowlers.

“We play a lot of cricket on these tracks,” said Bharat. “It’s not that we don’t know how to sweep, reverse sweep or paddle, but on that particular day depending on the situation of the team we as batters take our calls. It is very clear to us to bat with freedom.” he pitch remains in focus with the hosts expected to dish out a turning track in their bid to level the series.

“I haven’t look at the wicket to be very honest,” Bharat said. “Whatever situation, whatever condition it is, you still have to play a good five days of Test and we are looking forward to it.”

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2024