Ben Stokes hailed Shoaib Bashir for announcing himself to the world with a historic five-wicket haul to help England secure match and series victory over the West Indies.
The 20-year-old became the first spinner to take a Test five-for at Trent Bridge for 18 years with his 5-41 as the tourists crumbled from 61 without loss to 143 all out late on day four, securing a 241-run triumph.
It was a result that put England into an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston, starting Friday July 26 live on Sky Sports, as well and skipper Stokes was full of praise for Bashir’s performance.
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Ben Stokes reflects on England’s win and praises the performance of Harry Brook, Joe Root, Mark Wood and Shoaib Bashir
“The comeback after West Indies’ opening partnership was quite remarkable and Bash showed the world what he is about,” Stokes said.
“On a wicket that has not necessarily offered a lot for the spinners in the game, the ability he had to change his pace, change his line, manipulate how he wanted the ball to react out of the surface, was top class.”
Bashir came into the match in Nottingham having not bowled in the first Test at Lord’s, where England’s seamers did the damage in an innings and 114-run triumph which was sealed barely an hour into the third day.
The fact no spinner had taken a five-for on this ground since Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006 underlined how it has not exactly been the most conducive conditions for slower bowlers here in the intervening years either.
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Bashir reflected on his 7-149 against West Indies across two innings by saying the Test and series win was ‘very special’
Yet despite those factors and his relative inexperience, Bashir finished with match figures of 7-149 after taking two wickets in the West Indies’ first innings as well and could not speak highly enough of the help and advice given to him by the England squad’s more experienced members.
“I am still comprehending what has happened,” Bashir told Sky Sports. “Mark Wood bowling 90mph at the other end takes the pressure off me.
“[Ben Stokes] has a lot of words of inspiration and is just so calm under pressure. The team environment is special – I am the youngest in the team and the players get around me.
“In the first innings I wasn’t getting much out of the wicket. I was trying to get lbw and bowled into the equation.
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Highlights from day four of the second Test at Trent Bridge as Shoaib Bashir’s five-wicket haul shredded West Indies for 143 and secured England a series win
“I felt I was a bit inconsistent in the first innings. In the second, I saw a couple spun from a bit wider and Joe Root told me to bowl an attacking line. I reaped the rewards.”
Match-winning wicket will stand ‘impressive’ Bashir in good stead
Former England seam bowler Stuart Broad, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket:
“It’s very impressive. He had nothing to do at Lord’s and came into this game without much cricket behind him, in a sense.
“What I really enjoyed was how he was aware of how to change the style of bowling compared from first innings to second innings.
“He’s come into a team which is full of great people and great experience. He’s got so much learning and information around him, being captained by the best captain I played under tactically with his spinners.
“There is no better feeling than taking that final wicket which wins a Test match. For him to experience that so early in his international career will stand him in good stead.”
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Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain analyse Bashir’s second innings five-wicket haul against West Indies
Former England captain Michael Atherton, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket:
“We saw Bashir’s temperament in India over the winter, albeit in a series they lost and was difficult.
“In this game he had to do different roles. He had a holding role in the first innings and then when more was expected of him in the second innings, he picked up five wickets.
“This is not an easy ground to do that on.”
England’s Test series vs West Indies
Watch the first day of the third Test between England and West Indies, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Friday July 26 (first ball to be bowled at 11am).
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