Bashir's struggles on a scorching Trent Bridge day

The Scorching Trent Bridge Day

A series that started just three weeks ago amid sweaters, stormclouds and a flood of wickets at Lord’s, is reaching boiling point at Trent Bridge. Or at least the people watching it are, the action on the opening day of the concluding Test having been much less fiery than the weather in which it was played.

Bashir's Day in the Sun

Shoaib Bashir finally got his day in the sun. He had played at Lord’s, if only a little – he faced 27 balls with the bat and bowled none – and as a result was left out of the second game at the Oval, where as it turned out a spinner might have come in handy. The forecast here left no room for doubt.

The Impact of Heat on the Game

Shade was at a premium throughout, which was an issue because so much of what is available at Trent Bridge is in spaces under various stands that double up as major thoroughfares, leading to bottlenecks particularly during the intervals as people entered them and opted not to depart. As the day progressed more and more people abandoned the action to luxuriate in cooler spots elsewhere, behaviour that is probably best described as shadebathing.

Bashir's Performance

If Bashir has done a lot of drink-running of late, he somehow always seems to be enjoying it when he does. He has also developed a literal spring in his step, a hop at the start of his run-up, that makes it look much more Tiggerish bounce than weary drudge. This is fun to watch, which on days like this contrasts with what tends to comes next: a delivery of wildly unpredictable length but wearily reliable lack of menace, as Conway demonstrated by lifting him down the ground for six a couple of times.

The Outcome

In the end spin did get rewarded, albeit the part-time offerings of Joe Root, who struck with just his seventh ball. What really made Bashir unusual here was that he would not have appreciated being put in the shade.