England received unfortunate news ahead of the second Test against India as veteran spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out due to injury, confirmed by skipper Ben Stokes on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old, England’s most seasoned spinner in the current squad for the tour, sustained a knee injury during the first Test on Sunday.
Leach suffered the knee injury while fielding on the opening day of the Hyderabad Test, where England secured a surprising 28-run victory to claim a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. His condition worsened during the morning session of the second day.
Despite his injury, Leach managed to bowl 10 overs in the second innings and claimed the crucial wicket of Shreyas Iyer for 13 runs.
Due to his injury, Leach had to sit out Wednesday’s training session, casting doubt on his availability for the second Test scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam from February 2-6.
“He’s been ruled out of the second Test,” Stokes announced during a press conference. “Hopefully, it won’t extend beyond this match in the series.”
Leach’s absence paves the way for his Somerset teammate, 20-year-old spinner Shoaib Bashir, to potentially make his international debut as a replacement. Bashir was unable to participate in the opening Test against India due to a visa delay, which has since been resolved.
“When it came to selecting the squad, Bashir’s performance left a strong impression on everyone,” Stokes remarked. “Bashir showcased everything we desired in our spin group.”
Despite Bashir’s absence and Leach’s injury, debutant Tom Hartley stepped up admirably, securing figures of 7-62 to contribute to England’s remarkable turnaround in the first Test. Hartley’s performance ranks as the fourth-best figures for a debutant visiting bowler in India. His efforts were instrumental as the hosts crumbled from 42-0 to be all out for 202 runs in 69.2 overs. India held a 190-run lead in the first innings, having scored 436 in response to England’s 246.
