England leg-spinner Adil Rashid is open to a return to the Test arena if called upon for the upcoming five-match series against India.
Rashid signed a white-ball only contract with Yorkshire earlier this year after being ignored by England’s Test set-up for over a year. The 30-year-old has played only 10 Tests so far in his career with his last appearance in the five-day format coming against India at Chennai in December 2016.
However, Rashid’s excellent display in the ODI series win against India has seen the leg-spinner being touted as a possible selection for the Tests. The spinner picked up five wickets in the series and managed to dismiss India skipper Virat Kohli on a couple of occasions with two ripping deliveries.
“Right now I’m focussing on white-ball cricket for Yorkshire… But if England do want me to be part of the squad for the Test series (against India), then I’ll consider it,” the Englishman wrote in his diary for Sky Sports.
Rashid dismissed Virat Kohli twice in the three-match ODI series.
“I made the decision earlier this year to focus on playing white-ball cricket to see how it felt, but always knew that if I found I was missing red-ball cricket, then I would go back to it. So, if the selectors come and show faith in me, then I would consider it, whatever role they want me to play,” he added.
England coach Trevor Bayliss had also talked up Rashid’s chances of earning a Test recall.
“That’s a decision Adil has got to make. I’m not sure whether (chief selector) Ed Smith has had a chat with him or not,” said Bayliss.
“Could he get picked in the Test team on white-ball form? It’s already happened once this year. I’m sure he’ll be up for discussion, definitely.
“This year is probably the best we’ve seen him bowl. His control and his consistency has been top class.”
The highly anticipated series between England and India will get underway at Edgbaston on August 1 with the first Test.
