Whitewater Rafting, Bash?

Captain thrilled by fourth debutant spinner in a year.

    There was an instinctive, cheeky smile on Ben Stokes’ face when he said “so, yes, another debutant spinner,” after confirming the starting XI for the second Test against India in Vishakapatnam on Friday. He knows as well as anyone that picking spinners for Test debuts in India is completely bonkers. Look how Tom Hartley’s first ball was hit for six and his first spell was 9-0-63-0. Then look at his 7-62 in the second innings.

    Stokes played a pivotal role in the selection of Hartley for the tour and was equally instrumental in drawing the attention of Brendon McCullum and Rob Key to the potential of off-spinner Shoaib Bashir whose rise to the Test team might well be the most radical promotion since the 1900s when the captain was prone to select his buttler.

England’s last three debutant spinners, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley, all in the last 12-months, have taken 5+ wickets in an innings. It is an astonishing stat with data and science having a greater influence than intuition or ‘experience.’

Ahmed had played just three first-class matches before his debut against Pakistan last year but he’d been on the radar for years. Tom Hartley was a positive veteran with 20 first-class matches before receiving the captain’s endorsement. Bashir, effectively, has reached the highest level because Stokes saw a short video clip on Twitter of him causing Sir Alistair Cook a few problems at the back end of the County Championship season.

Bashir’s cricketing story is glorious, more so for the fact that it was Berkshire who gave him the opportunity and confidence to eventually be signed by Somerset. ‘Eventually’. What are we saying? He has only just turned 20! The boy the team  call ‘Bash’ was, indeed, bashful and intimidated as he walked past the cameras and media today on his way to practise.

    In any other era there would have been a fearful gloominess about his fate and the cruelty of throwing a youthful off-spinner into the cauldron of an Indian Test match. But no previous English era was presided over by a captain like Stokes. He will make Bashir believe they are white-water rafting rather than playing Test cricket. Just enjoy the ride – and if you fall out, I’m here to pull you back on board. It’s fun!

Steve Harmison spoke to Jonny Bairstow for the TalkSport daily podcast this morning which made us realise that, comfortable as our hotel is 8km inland, those on the seafront are rather better situated. Visag’s Waterfront Promenade is India’s Brighton…with palm trees. And people prepared to drive you to the ‘best beaches’ for only five times the price of an Uber (of which there are thousands.)

    Jonny was sheepish about the prospects of him reaching his 100^th Test, which would do in the fifth Test in Dharamsala if he plays the full series. His horrendous ankle injury has made him rightly skittish about taking anything for granted, but he was equally effusive with his praise for Stokes who will reach the landmark in the third Test of the series.

The Indian team, meanwhile, is doggy-paddling furiously beneath the surface. Beset by injuries, the unavailability of Virat Kohli and the apparent disconnect between captain Rohit Sharma and his bowlers, selection for the second Test was still deeply uncertain 24-hours before the match started. It is one of the reasons Stokes and McCullum enjoy announcing their team so early. “We’re ready. What’s wrong with you?