4th Test, Day 1: India 264-4 (Sudharsan 61 | Stokes 2-47) with England yet to bat
OLD TRAFFORD — England played 102 Tests in the eight years and almost 3,000 days since Liam Dawson last represented his country at this level. But after an impressive return in Manchester, could the 35-year-old now be the answer for this winter’s Ashes tour of Australia?
The fractured finger sustained by Shoaib Bashir in the third Test at Lord’s has presented Dawson with an opportunity that he thought was long gone.
And after taking just seven balls of his comeback to strike on the opening day of this fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, the early signs are that he is equipped to take his chance with both hands to force his way into England’s Ashes plans.
Liam Dawson takes his FIRST Test wicket in eight years! pic.twitter.com/mvZH9A8OMM
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 23, 2025Given little to work with on this opening day in terms of turn on a slow, Old Trafford pitch, Dawson did well to remove the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal early in the afternoon session while also ensuring he bowled tightly enough to keep India’s scoring in check.
Holding up an end as Dawson did here is the name of the game for spinners operating in Australia, especially during the first innings.
Even though he bowled just 15 overs on the first day of this match, his ability to give England a measure of control with his left-arm spin, going at just three runs an over, showed how valuable he could be this winter.
The Bazballers know that whoever they pick as their spinner for the first Test in Perth in November, the Australians will try to hit them out of the attack from the off.
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At least if it’s Dawson, whose last Test had come against South Africa at Trent Bridge in July 2017, England know they have someone who may be better placed to take advantage and profit from any Aussie aggression.
Bashir looks like a sitting duck against the best teams, even in spinning conditions. His debut tour of India early last year in which he took 17 wickets at 33.35 was promising.
But the 21-year-old is still so raw that it almost seems unfair to pitch him into the molten heat of an away Ashes series.
In recent years, Australia has been an unforgiving place for far better spinners than Bashir given the nature of the pitches in the country have progressively become more seam friendly.
Even Nathan Lyon, Australia’s iconic off-spinner who has 562 Test wickets, averaged 37 during his last home series against India last winter.
Since England last won the Ashes in Australia during the winter of 2010-11, Graeme Swann (seven wickets at 80), Monty Panesar (three at 85.66), Moeen Ali (five at 115) and Jack Leach (six at 53.50) have all been mauled over the past three Ashes tours.
Liam Dawson celebrates the dismissal of India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (Photo: AP)What hope would Bashir have? England have stuck with him and made him their No1 spinner because they believe the bounce generated from his high-release point could mean he prospers in Australia. Yet on last winter’s Lions tour Down Under he took one wicket at 74 in the one-off unofficial Test against Australia A.
Dawson’s batting – he has 18 first-class centuries – means he can bring something else to the party other than his bowling.
But his main skillset is far-more developed than Bashir’s and with strong performances in the final two matches of this series, he could force his way into England’s XI for the Ashes.
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Speaking on Test Match Special, former England spinner Phil Tufnell was impressed with what he saw from Dawson, saying: “I think Liam Dawson has bowled well; he’s certainly brought some control.
“I think what Ben Stokes might be enjoying is that he knows how to set a field. There’s nothing better than experience for a spin bowler. He knows his game and he knows where the batsmen will be trying to send it.”
As it stands, Bashir might not play any cricket before England fly out to Australia in early November.
After the operation on his fractured finger last week, there has been no early indication about how long he might be out for other than private admissions from those in the camp that it’s likely to be a while.
It’s a break that’s been lucky for Dawson, and might yet prove serendipitous for England too.
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