India vs England: Shoaib Bashir says visa delay makes debut memorable

Spinner Shoaib Bashir said the two wickets he took on his England debut would be made all the more “memorable” because of his troubles getting to India.

Bashir, 20, is of Pakistani origin and had to return home from England's training camp in Abu Dhabi in order to resolve a visa delay.

He missed the first Test, but took 2-100 as England restricted India to 336-6 on the first day of the second.

“It's very special. This is what you dream of,” Al-Bashir told BBC Sport.

The player was unable to travel with the rest of the England squad when they moved from Abu Dhabi to India.

He returned to the UK, finally arriving in India on the fourth day of England's impressive 28-run win in the first Test in Hyderabad.

Bashir was selected to play for Visakhapatnam following an injury to Somerset teammate Jack Leach.

“I always thought I would be here, I knew the BCCI and the ECB were working hard. I had no doubt,” he said.

“We're here now. You're making your debut and that's what matters. This definitely makes it memorable.”

India captain Rohit Sharma was caught at leg slip on the first morning of the second Test and celebrated by howling at the sky.

Late in the day, Bashir persuaded Axar Patel to head to the point where Rahman Ahmed took the direct hold.

Although India opener Yashavi Jaiswal made an impressive unbeaten 179, it was a creditable effort for England to get six wickets.

“Having Rohit Sharma direct first is very special,” Bashir said. “He's a very good spinner.

“I just unleashed everything. It's passion. I love playing cricket, it's what I've always wanted to do. It could have been at university.”[versity] instead of.

“For us, picking up six wickets was very good. We'll go again. We'll take things one session at a time. Hopefully we can make some breakthroughs.”

Al-Bashir was surprisingly summoned to the tour, as he had played only six previous matches in the first division.

He was released by Surrey as a teenager, and was picked up by Somerset, but still played club cricket for Taunton Dean until last summer.

He was spotted by England captain Ben Stokes bowling the former opener and skipper Sir Alastair Cook on his first-class debut against Essex in a Twitter video.

Stokes identified Bashir's length and the amount of spin he exerts on the ball as qualities that could prove successful for India.

With Bashir quickly arriving in the Test side, Stokes spoke to him on Friday morning and said any tension would be normal, as all the players face it.

“I remember that video went viral,” Bashir said. “I'm lost for words.

“Stokesie is an unbelievable kid. He made me feel at ease right away, in the crowd and with everything I've been through over the last two or three weeks.

“He's been very supportive. It's a testament to the way the team is run. It's unbelievable.”

India are indebted to Jaiswal, the 22-year-old opener who hit a second hundred in only his sixth Test.

Without the left-hander's effort, the hosts were in danger of wasting their decision to bat first. All batsmen started, but all six men fell for between 14 and 34.

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik said he was impressed by Jaiswal's “determination”.

“Sometimes when you have a lot of shots, you want to use them and you get carried away,” Karthik told the Test Match Special podcast. “His hunger to be out there and do what the country asked for was amazing.”

Jaiswal moved from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai when he was 12 to promote cricket, selling street food to make ends meet.

Spotted by a coach while playing on the field, he was set on a path to be the Player of the Tournament at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, when India were runners-up.

He has signed a huge Indian Premier League contract with Rajasthan Royals, and an impressive start to his Test career has confirmed Jaiswal as one of the country's fastest rising stars.

“The sky is the limit for him,” Karthik said. “He can play on difficult pitches. He's got skill. He's one of those rare players who can play in all formats. That's what makes him really special. He can stand out from the rest.”