IND v ENG: ‘He was ill day before the game’ – Patel reflects on Bashir's marathon spell in Dharamsala

England spin coach Jeetal Patel is highly impressed with rookie Shoaib Bashir for what he displayed with the ball on day two of the final Test in Dharamsala. From feeling unwell just a day before the start of the match to suffering a cut on his fingerin the lead-up to this game, Bashir had gone through several emotions but stood tall when his team needed him the most.

Having bowled over 70 overs across both innings in the previous Test, Bashir completed 44 overs at stumps on day two, returning with four wickets. He could have completed a five-for had Stokes held on to the catch of Kuldeep Yadav, but nevertheless, he was impressive in his marathon spell in Dharamsala.

Reflecting on the commitment that he had shown, Patel said players like Bashir need to be protected and well-monitored for them to grow into better cricketers. Patel also showered praises on the other bowlers, including Tom Hartley (who picked two wickets) and Anderson (who removed Gill clean bowled).

"Look, it's a hell of an effort," Patel said of Bashir's role in the side.

"He was ill the day before the game. He wasn't well yesterday. And he's still a little bit iffy today, but to then go bang out 45 [44] overs and nearly knock off a five-for … you could say he deserves it, but no one deserves anything in this game.

"It's one of those things, he's put in a hell of a shift for us. So has Tom Hartley. So has Mark Wood, Jimmy Anderson, all the bowlers really, all the fielders. To have them eight-down is a great sign going forward,” Patel said.

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With India sitting at a comfortable lead of255 runs, England will need their bowlers to wrap up the proceedings early on day three.

Having endured some tough days on the tour so far, Patel didn’t shy away from accepting it was one of those days for the touring side, where they had to put in hard yards for the wickets.

"We're going to have tough days in Test cricket. And today was one of them. If you put enough hard yards in, eventually the circle turns and it comes back on you. There's a lot of tired guys in there and rightly so. They put in a big shift,” Patel added.

Patel promises to take care of England spinners

With England next slated to play Tests after the T20 World Cup in June (in the Caribbean and the USA), Patel vows to take care of the young duo of Patel and Hartley.

"My work continues when they are not with England," he told the BBC. "I am not the sort of bloke who is going to leave them in the lurch. They have jobs to do for their counties, and they will look like different jobs, but it's learning for them to grow again, and then their skills in two years' time are better than they are now,” Patel said.