England's off-spinner Shoaib Bashir remains optimistic about clinching a victory over India on Day 4 of the fourth Test in Ranchi, despite hosts' easy task to chase down 192. The 20-year-old spinner anticipates that the deteriorating pitch could play into the hands of the spinners, making it feasible to secure all 10 Indian wickets.
India resumed play on Day 3 at 219/7, facing the prospect of a substantial deficit. Nevertheless, Dhruv Jurel's impressive 90-run knock reduced the gap to just 46. Ravichandran Ashwin then led the charge with the ball, claiming a five-wicket haul to put India in a strong position with a target of 192 for the win. Openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal made a solid start, knocking 40 runs off the required total.
Shoaib Bashir confident of England's comeback
Bashir shared his thoughts with TNT Sports following the conclusion of the day's play, stating:
"Yeah, look, we would have liked to have got one or two wickets in that last period, but me and Harts [Tom Hartley] know we got a job to do tomorrow. Ten opportunities to take ten wickets, and on that wicket anything is possible," Bashir said.
Even with a substantial 46-run lead, the visiting team failed to make the most of it, as Zak Crawley was the sole batsman to score over fifty. The Indian spin attack, led by Ashwin's five-wicket haul, Kuldeep Yadav's four wickets and Ravindra Jadeja's one wicket, was too formidable, resulting in England being dismissed for 145.
"Me and Tommy are really excited for the challenge. We saw how Ashwin and [Ravindra] Jadeja bowled on that wicket and we take huge confidence from that. I used to watch these guys when I was a bit younger and they're world-class spinners. We know us two lads are up against a world-class attack but we've got a chance to be heroes," Bashir added.
Bashir remembers his late grandfathers
The young player also attributed his success to his late grandfathers, who were both passionate cricket enthusiasts. He stated:
“I just want to dedicate this to my two late granddads who passed away a year and a bit ago. They used to watch Test cricket all the time on TV, sitting in front of the TV on the couch. And their wish was to watch me play, and that didn't happen. So yeah, it was quite emotional, but I'm grateful,” he concluded.
If England manage to secure a victory in Ranchi, the final Test in Dharamsala will determine the series outcome.
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