England coach Brendon McCullum revealed that the management is considering fielding a full attack in the upcoming matches. Brendon McCullum indicated that young spinner Shoaib Bashir could be a valuable addition to the Indian team.
The Ben Stokes-led team registered a 28-run victory in the first Test match against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The visiting team emerged victorious despite conceding a substantial lead of 190 runs to the opposition in the first innings.
Shoaib Bashir impressed with his skills – Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum praised Shoaib Bashir for his skills and his ability to succeed in India despite his limited first-class experience. McCullum hinted at possible changes based on pitch conditions in the upcoming Test matches of the ongoing series.
“Bashir was with us at our camp in Abu Dhabi. He fit perfectly into the group. He impressed with his abilities. He is a guy who has immense enthusiasm, although he is very young and has quite limited experience in first class. Again, like Tom Hartley, he is someone we looked at and thought his skills could help us in the conditions in India,” McCullum said.
Shoaib Bashir was part of England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the start of the series against India. However, the young player was unable to travel with the team to India due to visa issues. He was ruled out for the first match as he had to travel to the United Kingdom.
The 20-year-old joined the England team a few days ago in Hyderabad. He is expected to be available for selection in the second match, to be played at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, starting on Friday, February 2.
We Have a Pattern – Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum expressed his satisfaction with the team’s victory during the series opener. McCullum credited captain Ben Stokes’ remarkable confidence and team unity in turning things around in difficult conditions.
“It feels really good. We were a little behind for a good part of the game. The belief never wavered. We have a captain who has an incredible belief in bringing the team and the unit together, that they believe they can overcome the difficult conditions,” McCullum said.
England posted 246 runs in their first innings after opting to bat. However, they made a strong comeback in the second innings, scoring 420 runs in 102.1 overs. The visiting team bowled out the Rohit Sharma-led side for 202 runs in the final innings to clinch victory.
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