Having taken 13 wickets already in the first two Tests, Rashid has been the pick of the English attack in the series
It was on the eve of third Test here that Indian skipper Virat Kohli picked England's leg-spinner Adil Rashid for special mention, talking about how he impressed him during the Under-19 days two years prior to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
"I played against Adil at the Under-19 level and told him in Rajkot I was surprised he didn't make it to the England squad in the next two years. He was that good even then. So we understand the quality these guys bring to the table for England. Not everyone plays for England in Tests," was how Kohli described the impact of Rashid in the ongoing series.
Having taken 13 wickets already in the first two Tests, Rashid has been the pick of the English attack in the series. And on Sunday when he dismissed Parthiv Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to take his series tally to 16, Rashid has certainly upstaged his senior spinning mate Moeen Ali to be the new main weapon for his team.
Rashid had to wait for his debut until last year, when he was 27, and coming to India with a modest 28 wickets from seven Tests was something of a challenge for him too. "'I think we have had a pretty good day. To get six wickets on a pretty good pitch, I thought the bowlers did exceptionally well. We stuck to our plans and we got rewarded in the final session."
With three already in his kitty, Rashid surpassed the legendary Shane Warne's best series haul (14 in 2004-05) in India. "At the moment it feels okay," he said. "It goes through patches and sometimes you feel good in spells, sometimes you don't. I am just looking to stick to the basics and hopefully everything else will take care of itself."
Rashid didn't forget to mention spin-bowling consultant Saqlain Mushtaq, who has a special influence on his bowling. "He has played for many years, he has played in these conditions, so he knows what is required. He knows the batsmen out here and the field placings. It is good to tap into his brain and get a feel for what spin bowling is about," was how he described Saqlain's presence in the dressing room.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Adil Rashid")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}