Saqib Mahmood, England pacer is set to get his maiden Test cap after fellow pacer Mark Wood was ruled out of the third Test against India to be played here at Headingley from Wednesday, England captain Joe Root has hinted. Batsman Dawid Malan is also set to feature in the playing XI.
The right-arm pace bowler from Birmingham, Saqib Mahmood has played seven ODIs and nine T20 Internationals for England and had burst into the limelight with a four-wicket haul in an ODI against Pakistan in July.
Saqib Mahmood Couldn’t Be In A Better Place To Play Tests: Joe Root
Saqib Mahmood was added to England Test squad as a cover for the second Test against India but was released to play the ‘Hundred’ league. Saqib Mahmood claimed nine wickets averaging a mere 13.66 in England’s 3-0 series win in the ODIs against Pakistan in July, after being called up as part of an emergency squad following a Covid outbreak in England’s original party, and retained his place for the subsequent T20I series, where he picked up a further four wickets at 28.00.
“I feel like Saqib Mahmood couldn’t be in a better place to play Test cricket. We look at how he has progressed over the last couple of years across all the formats. The opportunities that he has taken which he has been given is exceptional,” said England skipper Joe Root to media during a virtual interaction.
“He went into that one-day series [against Pakistan] as probably the most experienced player and the go-to seamer and was under pressure. It is just great to see the strength and depth, and him developing the way he has developed over a period of time,” added Root.
Saqib Mahmood, who is strongly built and bowls at an impressive pace, picked nine wickets during the three-match ODI series that England won. Joe Root said missing the second Test is frustrating for Mark Wood, who bowled in India’s second innings of the second Test despite the pain.
“He bowled very well. This is frustrating for him and us. It gives opportunity to some of the others to step up.”
Mark Wood was ruled out of the third Test against India with a jarred right shoulder. He sustained the injury on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord’s and was ruled out for the next Test at Leeds, Headingly. The 31-year-old had hurt himself while fielding in the second Test match.
Joe Root: Dawid Malan Will Offer A Lot Of Experience At No. 3
Joe Root also said that Dawid Malan, who was called in to bolster a struggling England batting line-up, will bat in the top order. Dawid Malan could play at No. 3 with Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns set to open the batting.
“Dawid will offer a lot of experience in the top 3. Not necessarily Test cricket, but he has played lots of international cricket. He has dealt with pressure situations. He has played a lot of red-ball cricket over the course of his career. He also had great success and played in a massive series in Australia away (2017-18 Ashes) and been our leading run-scorer there,” added Root.
Dawid Malan had hit a century and three half-centuries during that Ashes tour.
“We know that he is capable of big things in Test match cricket and he is coming on the back of one County Championship score, but it is a big one (199 for Yorkshire vs Sussex in the first week of June). He scores in pressure situations in the shorter format,” said the 30-year-old England captain who became the second-highest run-getter for England in Test cricket during the ongoing series.
The England skipper also hinted that Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns could pair up as openers.
“They (Hameed and Burns) are two very fine players. They are different in style. It is an opportunity for them to make some big runs and get us off to a good start and hopefully, we can follow through on that.”
The 33-year-old left-hander was added to the England squad for the third Test against India and is expected to come straight into the XI at No 3, with Haseeb Hameed moving up to open at Emerald Headingley. Dawid Malan boasts a modest average of 27.84 in 15 Tests to date but has excelled in white-ball cricket on the international stage, as well as acquitting himself well during the 2017/18 Ashes series in Australia, scoring a century at Perth and averaging 42.55.
Dawid Malan has played 30 T20Is averaging 43.19, 6 ODIs averaging 39.5, and 15 Tests averaging 27.84.