England's rising off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir, etched his name in the annals of cricket history by becoming the first English bowler under 21 to secure more than one 5-wicket haul in Test cricket. This remarkable feat unfolded during the third day of the fifth and final Test match against India at HPCA.
Prior to Bashir, the esteemed list comprised only Bill Voce, James Anderson, and Rehan Ahmed, who had managed to claim a fifer before turning 21.
Day 3 of the Test match witnessed Bashir's masterful display as he meticulously dismantled the Indian batting lineup, clinching the pivotal wicket of Jasprit Bumrah (20) to mark his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket before reaching the age of 21. Even the promising debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65) and Sarfaraz Khan (56) failed to convert their starts into big scores as Bashir dismissed them. Dhruv Jurel (15) fell victim to his prowess as well. Bashir's final figures stood at an impressive 46.1-5-173-5.
Although he sat out the third Test, Bashir announced his arrival in the preceding fourth game with his maiden fifer (5/119 & 3/79). With this recent five-wicket haul, he has now accumulated 17 Test wickets at an average of 33.35. Bashir previously made waves by becoming the second-youngest English bowler to claim five wickets in a Test match during the fourth Test at the JSCA International Complex in Ranchi. Rehan Ahmed still holds the distinction of being the youngest England bowler to achieve this feat.
Rehan's remarkable achievement occurred at the tender age of eighteen years and 126 days, whereas Bashir reached the milestone at twenty years and 133 days. In the context of Test matches against India, Bashir joins the esteemed ranks of six spinners for England who have secured multiple 5-wicket hauls.
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