He replaces the spinner Shoaib Bahsir, who injured his finger.
England have roped in Liam Dawson for the remainder of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He replaces the spinner Shoaib Bahsir, who injured his finger while bowling in the Lord’s Test.
His finger will now require surgery to heal properly and will keep him out of the action for a while. Dawson is a domestic veteran who has been a consistent performer in this format, contributing with both bat and ball. He has played 212 First Class matches, scoring 10731 runs at an average of 35.29 in 341 innings, including 56 fifties and 18 centuries.
Additionally, he has 371 wickets at an average of 31.54 in 273 innings, comprising 15 five-wicket and three ten-wicket hauls. These numbers suggest his proficiency with the red ball, and he should have played more games for England, especially in this era.
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England tended to favour spinners who have a high-arm release, such as Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, which was one of the reasons behind his wilderness in Test cricket after Moeen Ali retired. Ideally, Dawson should have been the first name among the spinners, but that hasn’t been the case as of now.
Liam Dawson is returning to the Test arena after an eight-year absence, with his last Test coming in 2017 against South Africa. Overall, he has played three Tests, scoring 84 runs at an average of 21, including a fifty.
Moreover, he has seven wickets at 42.57 runs apiece in five innings, with a best of 2/34. Given how good his performances have been domestically, Dawson will certainly feel hard done by, for he should have been a permanent member of the XI.
Anyway, he will now have a chance to impress with his all-round efforts and seal the spot after toiling in the domestic arena for a number of years. The pitches have had little assistance for spinners in all three games, and Dawson understands all venues better than many other players, thanks to his vast County Championship experience.
His batting will be a bonus for England, who have often prioritised it in the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era. They will likely have a team with Jofra Archer at No.10, which suggests how much depth their batting has to make life arduous for Indian bowlers in Manchester.
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