Adil Rashid took some consolation from his performances against the West Indies despite a weakened England succumbing to a 3-2 T20 series defeat in Barbados.
With several regulars including Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes absent in the Caribbean following their Ashes exertions, Rashid has been one of the more senior members of the camp and has not disappointed across the five-match series.
England’s premier leg-spinner took a combined seven for 89 in the Kensington Oval contests, finishing with a superb economy rate of 5.75, as a powerhouse Windies batting unit treated with him with a degree of circumspection.
His two for 17 in a gripping fifth and final game, which England lost by 17 runs on Sunday evening, saw Rashid become England’s all-time leading T20 wicket-taker with 81 scalps, leapfrogging team-mate Chris Jordan (80).
“Obviously I picked up a few wickets here and there, kept it tight from my side,” Rashid said. “It’s been OK. I’m always looking to learn and get better and better. As an overall thing I bowled pretty well in the series.
“You have your ups and downs. At this moment in time I feel OK. You try to feel confident going into a game, that’s down to preparation. I feel quite good with my game.
“Obviously it’s a T20 game, anything can happen. Sometimes you feel confident and you do get hit a bit, and if you don’t feel good you can always pick up a wicket, so I’m always just looking to try my best.”
Rashid, who was England’s leading wicket-taker at last year’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, is ranked fourth in the world in the format, behind fellow wrist-spinners Wanindu Hasaranga, Tabraiz Shamsi and Adam Zampa.
While he is one of the premier white-ball bowlers in the world, Rashid has not figured in England’s Test plans since early 2019, partly due to a nagging shoulder complaint that first flared up before the 50-over World Cup win.
Rashid needed a couple of pain-killing injections just to get through the tournament and continued to be burdened for months afterwards, hampering his ability to get through his variations, although meticulous attention to his rehabilitation and strength and conditioning work meant he described his shoulder as “100 per cent” late last year.
England’s spin cupboard is relatively bare – as evidenced by them going into several Tests in 2021 without a frontline slow bowler – so would Rashid countenance a red-ball return?
Rashid, who has taken 60 wickets in 19 Tests, would not be drawn on the topic, saying: “I don’t know what’s happening yet. I’m just contracted for white-ball cricket.”
Rashid’s contribution in Bridgetown on Sunday night left the Windies on 105 for four but Rovman Powell’s 35 not out from 17 balls and Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 41 from 25 deliveries lifted the hosts to 179 without further loss.
James Vince amassed 55 – just the second time he has reached a half-century in 17 T20 knocks – but was one of four batters to succumb to the left-arm spin of Akeal Hosein as England lurched to 119 for six in the 16th over.
Sam Billings kept them afloat with a spirited 41 off 28 deliveries but was among a cluster of wickets in the final over, with Jason Holder taking four scalps in as many deliveries, as England were all out for 162 in 19.5 overs.
Rashid said: “I thought to restrict them to 180 we were pretty pleased with that, but then obviously with the bat I don’t think we had enough partnerships, we just lost too many wickets in clusters.”
Jordan, Billings then Rashid were all caught on the leg-side fence from successive balls as England sought the big shots to keep them alive, but Holder joined an exclusive club when Saqib Mahmood’s inside edge nicked leg stump.
Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan and Curtis Campher are the only other males to take four in four in a T20 international, while Holder finished with a format-best five for 27 to end an enjoyable series in dramatic fashion.
