All-round displays by Shadab and Bess set tone for fruitful future | Ali Martin

These are early days in the players’ careers but there is already evidence they possess the requisite talent, technique and temperament to push for promotions

There may be a couple of imposters in this Test series who go by the names of Shadab Khan and Dominic Bess. They have broken into their respective teams purporting to be spin bowlers but, fiendishly, they appear to have designs on being proper batsmen.

It is a path well-trodden, of course, with two modern examples in Steve Smith of Australia and England’s Kevin Pietersen. The former transformed from jokey leg‑spinner to the world’s No 1 batsman – albeit banned at present – while the latter began life sending down off-breaks in South Africa before realising his talents lay elsewhere.

Related: Dom Bess and Jos Buttler impress as England turn screw on Pakistan

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