BRAVE BASH BREAKS THROUGH

IN A SPIN: England players celebrate as a stunned Siraj is bowled by Bashir in a nail-biting finish at Lord's

- By Mike Walters

MOP your brow, cancel all cardiologists' leave and come out from behind the sofa.

Shoaib Bashir, England's last action hero shortly before 4.50pm on a golden Lord's afternoon, broke India's hearts while most of us could not bear to watch through our fingers.

Last man Mohammed Siraj, who began the day being docked 15 percent of his match fee, could barely drag himself away from the crease after jabbing down on Bashir's off-break, only for the ball to keep spinning behind his pads and dislodge the leg bail.

As Bashir wheeled away in triumph, England went 2-1 up in the series after a 22-run win in the third Test that will be remembered for years as a crown jewel of the sporting summer.

Bashir's broken little finger on his left hand, after dropping a sharp chance in India's first innings, will rule him out for the rest of the series and he was off the field for most of their dramatic chase.