Jack Leach, England’s top spinner, will not be available for the final three Test matches against India.
Spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the final three Test matches against India on Sunday, which dealt a serious blow to the England cricket team. Leach had a major part in England’s victory over India in the first game of the series, but he was injured in the second match. He was replaced in the second Test by Shoaib Bashir, a rookie who struggled to get much going with the ball as the tourists lost by 106 runs. For spin bowling duty in the final three Test matches against India, England would have to depend on Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and Shoaib Bashir due to Leach’s injury.
Additionally, England has declared that they will not be selecting a replacement for Leach and will play the remainder of the trip with the available spinners. Joe Root, an England batsman who has turned into an all-rounder on spin-friendly Indian wickets, suffered an injury during the Vizag Test, although his absence was not mentioned in the England statement.
“England and Somerset spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the remainder of England Men’s Test tour of India due to a left knee injury,” the England and Wales Cricket Board stated in a press release.
Due to the injury, Leach was unable to play in the second Test in Vizag after suffering it during England’s first-round triumph in Hyderabad.
Before the third Test in Rajkot, which begins on Thursday, the England team has been residing in Abu Dhabi, and he will take a flight home from there within the next 24 hours.
As he recovers, Leach will collaborate closely with the medical staffs in Somerset and England.
It is not planned for England to summon a substitute.
A handy batsman lower down the order, the 32-year-old spinner has claimed 126 wickets for England in 36 Test matches.
England Test squad: Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (captain), Mark Wood
