England’s young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir may have bowed out of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in dramatic fashion, but it was a bittersweet ending. On Day 3 of the third Test at Lord’s, Bashir injured his left little finger while attempting a reflex return catch off Ravindra Jadeja’s thunderous straight drive. The blow forced him off the field, ruling him out of further play that day.

Despite the injury, the 21-year-old showed remarkable grit. He came out to bat on Day 4, scoring a gritty two runs off nine deliveries before falling to Washington Sundar. But his most significant moment came on the final day, when skipper Ben Stokes turned to him as India’s last-wicket pair threatened to steal the game.

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With pacers unable to break through, Bashir was thrown the ball and delivered. He claimed the decisive wicket of Mohammed Siraj, sealing a thrilling 22-run win and a 2-1 series lead for England. Unfortunately, that dramatic spell will be Bashir’s final appearance in this series. Scans confirmed a fracture, and he will undergo surgery, ruling him out of the final two Tests. In his place, England have called up veteran all-rounder Liam Dawson.

𝙒𝙃𝙊 𝙄𝙎 𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙈 𝘿𝘼𝙒𝙎𝙊𝙉?🤔

Left-arm Spinner Who Debuted In Karun Nair’s 300 Game Returns After 8 Years 💪

Know everything about the Hampshire allrounder⬇️https://t.co/lKU1Krshtd

— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) July 15, 2025

Liam Dawson, 35, returns to the Test setup for the first time since 2017. He has quietly been one of the County Championship’s most consistent performers. With 371 wickets and over 11,000 runs in 212 first-class matches, he brings experience and balance to the squad.

Fresh off a strong T20I showing against the West Indies, where he was the joint-highest wicket-taker, Laim Dawson’s call-up was endorsed by national selector Luke Wright. “Liam Dawson deserves his call-up. He has been in outstanding form in the County Championship,” Wright said in a statement released by the ECB.

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England squad for fourth Test against India: Ben Stokes (C), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes